Tottenham have confirmed Roberto De Zerbi as their new manager on a "long-term" contract, believed to be until 2031.
The former Brighton boss left Marseille only a few hours prior to Thomas Frank's sacking being announced on February 11, and was rumoured to be Spurs' first choice before the shock, and ultimately failed, appointment of Igor Tudor.
Tudor left on Sunday after just 44 days in the role having taken only one point from five Premier League matches.
A 3-0 home defeat by Nottingham Forest in Tudor's final game left Spurs 17th in the table and just a point above the relegation zone with seven games to play.
De Zerbi's first match in charge sees Tottenham travel to Sunderland on April 12.
"I am delighted to be joining this fantastic football club, which is one of the biggest and most prestigious in the world," said De Zerbi.
“In all my discussions with the club’s leadership, their ambition for the future has been clear – to build a team capable of reaching great achievements, and to do that playing a style of football that excites and inspires our supporters. I am here because I believe in that ambition and have signed a long-term contract to give everything to deliver it.
“Our short-term priority is to climb the Premier League table, which will be the complete focus until the final whistle of the last game of the season. I’m looking forward to getting out on the training pitch and working with these players to achieve that.”
During his previous stint in England De Zerbi took Brighton to their highest ever top-flight finish of sixth in 2022/23, also leading them to the semi-finals of the FA Cup that season and the Europa League round of 16 the following campaign.
Prior to that the Italian coach had successful spells in charge of Serie A side Sassuolo and Ukrainian club Shakhtar Donetsk.
Tottenham's sporting director Johan Lange added: “Roberto was our number one target for the summer and we are very pleased to be able to bring him in now.
“He is one of the most creative and forward-thinking coaches in world football, and brings with him a wealth of experience at the highest level, including in the Premier League.”
More from Sporting Life
- Fixtures, results and live scores
- Home of This Week's Acca
- Football and other sports tips
- Download the Sporting Life app
- Podcasts and video content
Safer gambling
We are committed in our support of safer gambling. Recommended bets are advised to over-18s and we strongly encourage readers to wager only what they can afford to lose.
If you are concerned about your gambling, please call the National Gambling Helpline / GamCare on 0808 8020 133.
Further support and information can be found at begambleaware.org and gamblingtherapy.org.
We are pleased to announce the appointment of Roberto De Zerbi as our new Men’s Head Coach on a long-term contract, subject to work permit.
Roberto said: “I am delighted to be joining this fantastic football club, which is one of the biggest and most prestigious in the world.
“In all my discussions with the Club’s leadership, their ambition for the future has been clear – to build a team capable of reaching great achievements, and to do that playing a style of football that excites and inspires our supporters. I am here because I believe in that ambition and have signed a long-term contract to give everything to deliver it.
“Our short-term priority is to climb the Premier League table, which will be the complete focus until the final whistle of the last game of the season. I’m looking forward to getting out on the training pitch and working with these players to achieve that.”
Sporting Director, Johan Lange, said: “Roberto was our number one target for the summer and we are very pleased to be able to bring him in now.
“He is one of the most creative and forward-thinking coaches in world football, and brings with him a wealth of experience at the highest level, including in the Premier League.”
Following a playing career of almost 300 appearances across 15 years, Brescia-born Roberto began coaching in his native Italy and in June, 2018, joined Serie A side Sassuolo, earning recognition for his exciting, attack-minded and possession-based approach.
He took charge of Shakhtar Donetsk in May, 2021, leading them to the UEFA Champions League group stage and the Ukrainian Super Cup – his first piece of silverware as a coach.
Heading to East Sussex to join Brighton & Hove Albion in September, 2022, Roberto helped secure the Seagulls’ highest ever Premier League finish in his debut season, earning European qualification for the first time in the club’s history.
In his most recent role at Marseille, the Ligue 1 side finished as runners-up in 2024/25, earning a spot in the UEFA Champions League.
