Tottenham Hotspur have confirmed the appointment of Roberto De Zerbi as their new manager as the club look to avoid a shock relegation battle in the Premier League.

De Zerbi became available after leaving Marseille by mutual consent in February, and Tottenham acted swiftly to secure his services following the departure of interim boss Igor Tudor, who left after just seven games and 44 days in charge.

The north London club currently sit just one point above the relegation zone with seven matches remaining, having failed to record a league victory in 2026.

“I am delighted to be joining this fantastic football club, one of the biggest and most prestigious in the world,” De Zerbi said. “From my discussions with the club’s leadership, their ambition is clear — to build a team capable of achieving great success while playing an exciting style of football that inspires the supporters.

“I am here because I believe in that vision and have signed a long-term contract to fully commit to delivering it. Our immediate priority is to climb the Premier League table, and that will remain the focus until the final whistle of the season. I am eager to get on the training ground and work with the players to achieve this.”

Roberto De Zerbi built a strong reputation in England during his two-year spell as Brighton & Hove Albion manager between 2022 and 2024.

During his time at Brighton, he guided the club to European qualification for the first time in their history and also led them to an FA Cup semi-final in 2023. He later had a brief stint at Marseille, where he secured a second-place finish in Ligue 1 in his only full season in charge.

The Italian now returns to England on a long-term contract with Tottenham Hotspur, a club that has not been relegated from the top flight since the 1977–78 season.

Despite possessing a modern 63,000-capacity stadium, a state-of-the-art training facility, and revenues that rank among the top 10 globally, Tottenham currently face the serious threat of dropping into the Championship.

Only a few seasons ago, Spurs were regular contenders in the UEFA Champions League under former manager Mauricio Pochettino, even reaching the final in 2019. More recently, the club ended a 17-year trophy drought by winning the UEFA Europa League under Ange Postecoglou.

However, signs of decline were evident as Postecoglou was dismissed despite that European success, after finishing 17th in the Premier League. His successor, Thomas Frank, was later sacked in February following a poor run of two wins in 17 league matches.

De Zerbi’s first match in charge of Spurs will be away at Sunderland on April 12.