Roberto De Zerbi has apologised to Tottenham Hotspur fans who were offended by his past comments about Mason Greenwood during his time as Marseille head coach, insisting he would never intentionally downplay the issue of violence against women.
De Zerbi faced opposition from multiple Tottenham supporters’ groups in the days before his appointment as manager on Tuesday, due to his supportive remarks about former Manchester United forward Greenwood during their time together at Marseille.
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Greenwood was charged in October 2022 with attempted rape, controlling and coercive behavior, and assault after images and videos were posted online.
British prosecutors dropped the charges in February 2023 owing to a “combination of the withdrawal of key witnesses” and due to “no realistic prospect of conviction.”
In his first interview as Tottenham manager, conducted with the club’s in-house media on Thursday, De Zerbi addressed a question regarding his comments about Greenwood, answering in his native Italian “because I want to be clear.”
“I have never wanted to downplay the issue of violence against women, or violence against anyone more broadly,” De Zerbi said. “In my life, I’ve always stood up for those who are more vulnerable, more fragile.
“I’ve consistently fought and taken a stand to be on the side of those who are most at risk. Those of you who know me well will know that I’m not the kind of person who makes compromises to win more games or to win an extra title.
“I’m sorry if I offended anyone’s feelings with this subject matter. I have a daughter and I’m very sensitive to these things, and I always have been.
“I hope that over time people will get to know me better and will understand at that moment I didn’t mean to take a stance.”
During their time together at Marseille, De Zerbi described Greenwood as a “good guy” who “paid dearly for what happened,” adding: “I regret what happened in his life because I know someone different from what’s being described, especially in England.”
After speculation around De Zerbi intensified last week, Proud Lilywhites, Women of the Lane and Spurs Reach posted “No to De Zerbi” statements, but the Italian was subsequently appointed.
Tottenham Hotspur Supporters’ Trust immediately stated they had “serious and far-reaching concerns” with De Zerbi being hired.
Spurs turned to De Zerbi after interim head coach Igor Tudor was sacked on Sunday with the Premier League outfit in 17th position and only one point above the relegation zone after a disastrous campaign.
De Zerbi promised to be in charge next season even if they are in the Championship.
“I signed five years of contract because, for me, it is a big challenge and I will be the coach of Tottenham next season, no matter what,” he said.
“It’s a difficult moment for everyone at Tottenham but I think we have the right qualities to come out of this moment.
“I believe in the players. I think we have to remember who we are and who the players are, because we have very big players and we have to work on their confidence and qualities.”
PA and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
