Tottenham Hotspur appoint Roberto De Zerbi as new head coach

Tottenham Hotspur have appointed the former Brighton manager Roberto De Zerbi as the club’s new permanent head coach, following the mutual termination of Igor Tudor’s contract on March 29.

Former Juventus manager Igor Tudor was confirmed as interim head coach on February 14, 2026, following the sacking of Thomas Frank, to lead the team until the end of the 2025/26 season, arriving with the club in 16th place in the Premier League.

The Croatian manager arrived at north London with fire, keen to re-establish Spurs back to where they deserve, after enduring a disappointing tenure under Thomas Frank, but things have gotten even worse – Spurs wield the axe.

Under Tudor, Spurs failed to win any of their five games in the Premier League, recording a sharp decline in their fortunes with 3.5 goals conceded per game.

De Zerbi will become Tottenham’s fourth manager of the season following the departure of Igor Tudor, who leaves Tottenham as interim manager, and is expected to take over immediately to steer the team out of its current unstable run of form.

The now former Marseille manager, De Zerbi and Mauricio Pochettino remained the leading candidates to take the job permanently in the summer. However, the Lilywhites could wait no longer to get their man.

In a club statement, De Zerbi 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.”

Pochettino was hugely admired and popular, and an emotional return was envisaged. Having enjoyed a highly successful five-year spell at Tottenham between 2014 and 2019, during which the club twice challenged for the Premier League title and reached the Champions League final.

However, it’s rather the Italian tactician who has now signed a five-year contract to take over the struggling north London side, languishing at 17th in the Premier League standings, hoping to revive the side to avoid a further drop into the relegation zone.

According to journalist Ben Jacobs, De Zerbi had told Spurs last week he wanted to wait until summer, but a lucrative long-term deal has made him open to taking the job now.

🚨 BREAKING: Roberto De Zerbi is now close to an agreement with Spurs following a breakthrough in talks. Five-year contract on offer.

De Zerbi had told Spurs last week he wanted to wait until summer, but a lucrative long-term deal has made him open to taking the job now.

🤝… pic.twitter.com/SJHBAu09Oa
— Ben Jacobs (@JacobsBen) March 30, 2026

The 46-year-old Italian has been tasked with the objective of securing the club’s Premier League safety, with reports indicating a significant bonus for maintaining top-flight status.

De Zerbi is known for his attacking style of play, ball possession, and tactical acumen – something the club chiefs believe will be significantly needed to help them turn their season around.

With his experience in the Premier League, after spending two years with Brighton, where he achieved the club’s highest-ever league finish and qualified for Europe, his management style will be a great asset to turn the fortunes of Spurs around.