New Tottenham head coach Roberto De Zerbi responds to backlash over Mason Greenwood comments
Roberto De Zerbi has apologised for his comments about Mason Greenwood in his first interview since being appointed Tottenham head coach.
De Zerbi was appointed by Spurs on a five-year deal, replacing Igor Tudor after his ill-fated 44 days in charge of the north London club.
The Italian arrives with his new side deep in a relegation battle and only one point outside of the Premier League’s bottom three.
De Zerbi impressed at Brighton before moving to Marseille, but his arrival at Tottenham received backlash from some of the fanbase due to comments he made about Greenwood while in France.
The former Manchester United forward was charged with attempted rape, controlling and coercive behaviour and assault occasioning bodily harm towards the same woman in 2022.
Greenwood denied any wrongdoing, with the charges dropped in February 2023 before he was set to stand trial.
The Englishman later moved to Marseille, where he worked under De Zerbi, with the Italian going on to describe Greenwood as a ‘good guy’ who had ‘paid a heavy price’.
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Addressing those comments on Thursday, De Zerbi said: ‘I have never wanted to downplay the issue of violence against women, or violence against anyone more broadly.
‘In my life I have 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 I’m not the type of person who makes compromises to win more games or to win an extra title.
What did Roberto De Zerbi say about Mason Greenwood?
After Marseille confirmed the signing of Greenwood, De Zerbi insisted the former United attacker was a ‘good guy’.
He also suggested he was ‘saddened’ by how Greenwood had been represented by the press in his native England.
‘He’s a good guy, he paid a heavy price for what happened, a very heavy price,’ De Zerbi said in the media when asked about Greenwood last November.
‘He has found the right environment for him. We have lent him a hand and given him affection. He’s a little bit introverted but I know him and his family.
‘It saddens me what happened in his life, because I know a totally different person than the one who was described in England.’
‘I’m sorry if this 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 that at that moment I didn’t mean to take a stance.’
Looking ahead to a crucial run of fixtures between now and the end of the season, De Zerbi urged his side to play with ‘courage’ in their fight to avoid the drop.
‘I think we have to be focused just on the Sunderland game,’ he added. ‘I don’t want to speak about the schedule or the Brighton game or the Wolverhampton game.
‘Game by game, we have to prepare the players to win the game and to be focused just on the game.
‘We have to play with courage. We have to play with the qualities of the players, because if I accept this challenge, it’s because I have a big confidence in the players and the style of the history of Tottenham football is a very clear style of play.’
The Italian also confirmed he would not walk away if his side were relegated, insisting: ‘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.’
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