Is a Temperamental Italian Manager a Good Fit for Tottenham Hotspur?
After only 44 days, Tottenham has fired its interim head coach, Igor Tudor. Italian coach Roberto De Zerbi will be his replacement. De Zerbi has previous experience in the Premier League; he coached Brighton & Hove Albion for two seasons, 2022-23 and 2023-24. More recently, the Italian left Olympique de Marseille in Ligue 1 by mutual consent following a blow-out defeat by Paris Saint-Germain with a score of 5-0. Will De Zerbi be able to lift Tottenham out of their relegation struggles with only seven matches in the 2025-26 season?
Will De Zerbi’s Tactics Fit Tottenham?
When De Zerbi first hit the Premier League scene with Brighton, his tactics were new, exciting, and created a formidable South Coast team. However, as his tenure continued with the Seagulls, other teams began to figure out the best ways to neutralize his strategy. It created a lull for Brighton as they were branded as draw specialists under De Zerbi’s lack of adaptation and change in his coaching system. This does not bode well for Tottenham as they signed him on a five-year deal that does not contain a relegation clause. However, his contract gives him a bonus if he manages to keep his new team in the Premier League.
De Zerbi was applauded as the next Pep Guardiola, with the Spaniard even praising the Italian’s ambitious tactics and play while he was at Brighton. Many clubs, like Liverpool, Manchester City, and Real Madrid, were interested in his tactics and shortlisted him as their future coach. De Zerbi has a signature style of baiting the opposition. During his time at Brighton, the Italian manager would have his centerbacks plant their studs on top of the ball, pausing all movement of play. This was meant to draw in strikers and stretch the opposition to create more space for long balls and through-the-middle passes. This is a successful tactic but also a high-risk one. During his first season with Brighton, the team had the highest number of errors leading to goals scored against them.
The new coach for Tottenham relies heavily on wingers as his baiting tactic creates more space for them on the sides of the pitch. His strategy involves a slow build-up and building play out from the back. Tottenham’s previous permanent head coach, Thomas Frank, often used that tactic, but it was not a success with the team. Can De Zerbi find a different formation or solution to implement his tactics that did not work previously? The Italian will have a wealth of talent on his hands with Xavi Simons and Archie Gray at his disposal.
The Appointment of the Italian Divides Tottenham Fans
Tottenham fans on social media have expressed their displeasure with Roberto De Zerbi being appointed manager. Many are critical and do not feel that the Italian coach embodies the club’s ideals concerning their motto, “All Together, Always.” Their motto basically means that no one is left behind and there is no exclusion. This motto is always shown in their stadium with a Progress Pride flag in the north-east corner of the building. While at Marseille, De Zerbi was complementary and supportive of Mason Greenwood, who was charged with attempted rape and coercive behavior towards a young woman. These allegations were brought to light through social media posts and resulted in Manchester United not including him in the senior squad. A divide is growing in the Tottenham fan base as some fans do not agree with the Italian being appointed, while others simply want to see their club stay in the Premier League.
Will De Zerbi’s Explosive Temper Affect His Job?
The Italian is known to be very animated on the touch line. In his two seasons with Brighton, he received a total of nine yellow cards and two red cards. Ironically, a red card was given to both managers when Tottenham hosted Brighton. De Zerbi and Cristian Stellini got into a fight on the pitch and were both shown red, marching into the tunnel still arguing with each other. In his tenure with Brighton, he also received a touch-line ban for abusive behavior and language towards one of the match officials. He was given a match ban and a fine of $18,000. During his time in France with Olympique de Marseille, the newly appointed Tottenham manager lost control of the dressing room and forced players to stay overnight at the training ground. His temper, lack of control, and loss of respect from the players are not a good sign, as Micky van de Ven and Djed Spence have shown rebellious behavior under Frank’s coaching period.
Compounding on the Italian’s negative behavior resulting in fines and yellow cards, he has never stayed more than three years as a club’s manager. With both Brighton and Olympique de Marseille, he was the head coach for only two years and left by mutual consent at both clubs. At Brighton, the fiery Italian coach had irreconcilable differences with Brighton’s owner, Tony Bloom, over transfer strategies and buying players. The Italian manager’s departure from Marseille was caused by fractured relationships with the players and tensions between the French club's board. His personality did not seem to mesh with the high-ups in either club, which poses a huge threat as Tottenham’s board has been quick to fire and replace coaches, and they are dealing with their own internal issues at the moment.
Overall, De Zerbi’s tactics are solid, leading Brighton to their first European competition in history and Olympique de Marseille being runner-up in Ligue 1. However, the way he presents himself and his praise of a problematic player will haunt him in his new tenure at Tottenham. The Italian will have to prove himself in the results rather than in his presentation of himself. In order to win over certain Tottenham fans, he must have a seven-game winning streak right from his opening match.
