Tottenham Hotspur announced on Tuesday that 46-year-old Roberto De Zerbi has been appointed as the first-team manager. The two sides signed a five-year contract, valid until June 30, 2031.

De Zerbi's appointment as manager of Tottenham Hotspur, replacing Igor Tudor, marks his official return to football after more than a month of inactivity. He was dismissed from his position as Marseille manager in February due to poor results.

For De Zerbi, his primary task upon taking over is to lead Tottenham to safety from relegation. Tottenham currently sit 17th in the Premier League with 30 points from 7 wins, 9 draws, and 15 losses, just one point above the relegation zone.

According to The Times, De Zerbi's annual salary after taking over Tottenham is between £12 million and £15 million. He will also receive a substantial bonus if he leads the team to safety from relegation.

De Zerbi previously managed Darfu, Boallião, Foggia, Palermo, Benevento, Sassuolo, Shakhtar Donetsk, Brighton, and Marseille, accumulating a record of 200 wins, 102 draws, and 160 losses. As a representative figure of Italy's young generation of coaches, his most representative achievement is undoubtedly leading Marseille to a runner-up finish in Ligue 1 in the 2024/25 season.

De Zerbi also had an outstanding record in the Premier League. In his first season managing Brighton, he led the team to a sixth-place finish in the Premier League, securing their first-ever European qualification, and in the following season, they made history by reaching the Europa League Round of 16.

After completing the signing, De Zerbi said: "I am deeply honored to join one of the world's largest and most prestigious top clubs. In all my interactions with the club's management, I could feel that their vision for the future is very clear—to build a team that can achieve great things and to achieve this goal with a style of football that excites and resonates with the fans. I came here because I firmly believe in this vision and have signed a long-term contract, willing to do everything I can to realize it."

"Our top priority right now is to improve our Premier League ranking, and that will be our sole focus until the very end of the season. I look forward to stepping onto the training ground and working with the players to achieve this goal."

Tottenham's sporting director, John Langer, added: "Roberto was our top target this summer, and we are very happy to have him now."

"He is one of the most creative and forward-thinking coaches in world football. He has extensive coaching experience in top leagues, including the Premier League."

Image source: Internet/TA