Relegation battle 

Roberto De Zerbi poised for Tottenham: Is five-year deal a mistake?

©TM/IMAGO

Tottenham Hotspur are locked in talks with Roberto De Zerbi to become their next permanent manager. On Sunday, it was announced that Spurs had parted ways with Igor Tudor with the Croatian lasting just 44 days in charge as interim boss, after replacing Thomas Frank. Spurs are firmly engulfed in a relegation battle, sitting just one point above the bottom three with just seven Premier League games remaining.

It was initially understood that De Zerbi was unwilling to take the reins in the summer but he’s been persuaded to charge immediately with an announcement expected. The notoriously fiery Italian boss has been out of work since February after departing Marseille following a devastating Champions League exit and humiliation to PSG in Ligue 1. De Zerbi would represent Tottenham’s third manager of the year and the fanbase is visibly split on his impending appointment.

Roberto De Zerbi’s managerial record

It’s understood that Spurs chiefs have promised De Zerbi significant support in the transfer window and time to transform the club, in order to convince him to take immediate charge. It’s widely reported that the 46-year-old will be handed a five-year contract as one of the best paid coaches in England, which has raised eyebrows as he’s never spent three years at a single club. De Zerbi has a deserved reputation for being confrontational and he’s fallen out with various hierarchies.

As the graphic above illustrates, De Zerbi’s longest tenure was at Sassuolo, where he managed 120 games with a points per game record of 2.17. The Italian’s spell at Shakhtar was his most impressive based on ppg (1.51) and it ultimately earned him his move to the Premier League with Brighton. De Zerbi built on Graham Potter’s success and led the Seagulls to European football for the first time in their history, while playing an attractive brand of football. De Zerbi’s appointment is unquestionably a risk but if he can save Tottenham from relegation then he will begin to win over an element of the disgruntled fanbase.