Tottenham are facing calls to condemn violence against women and girls following new manager Roberto De Zerbi’s past comments about Mason Greenwood.
Tottenham Supporters Trust Release Statement
Tottenham Hotspur Supporters Trust has called on the club to reaffirm its position following the 46-year-old Italian’s appointment as new head coach after he made “unnecessary, ill-judged and extremely offensive” comments about Greenwood during his time with Marseille in France.
Greenwood was charged in October 2022 with one count of attempted rape, one count of controlling/coercive behavior and assault occasioning actual bodily harm in relation to the woman whose images and videos were posted online, but the Crown Prosecution Service withdrew the charges in February 2023.
Commenting on De Zerbi’s appointment on a five-year contract, THST said in a statement to X: “The club has always been committed to combating incidents of violence against women and girls and to acting with integrity and upholding our values in the face of any incident.”
“De Zerbi’s comments about Mason Greenwood were unnecessary, ill-judged and deeply offensive to a significant number of his supporters, and will no doubt have been disturbing to victims of male violence.
“At a time when we all need to come together and support our team, we believe that if left unchecked, these comments will cause a rift between our supporters. It is worrying that the club would put us in this position at a time when our team needs our fans the most.”
Premier League manager salaries – click to see full list | |||
|---|---|---|---|
rank | manager | club | annual wage |
1 | pep guardiola | man city | £20 million |
2 | Roberto Deserbi | tottenham | £12 million |
3 | Mikel Arteta | arsenal | £10 million |
4 | Unai Emery | Aston Villa | £8 million |
5 | alne slot | liverpool | £6.6m |
6 | eddie howe | newcastle | £6 million |
7 | david moyes | everton | 5 million pounds |
“Fans have rallied behind the ‘All Together All Ways’ initiative and this appointment places a huge strain on that unity. If these comments reflect his genuine views, they cast a worrying shadow on the values of the club we love.”
“The club must reaffirm its commitment to the values that its fans hold dear, in particular equality, respect and integrity. Any sympathy for alleged perpetrators of physical or sexual violence against women fundamentally undermines confidence in the stewardship of this club.”
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Charges against former Manchester United forward Greenwood were dropped due to “a combination of the withdrawal of key witnesses and newly revealed material”, which meant there was “no realistic prospect of conviction”.
He then resumed his career and joined Marseille in 2024, but in November De Zerbi described the player as a “good man” who had paid a “high price”, adding: “I’m sad about what happened in his life, because I know a person who is completely different from who he is said to be.”
De Zerbi forces Spurs to take full control
According to a report from Italy by Sport Witness, the new manager has been given a longer contract than perhaps some fans had hoped for, as well as being given significant powers to run the club.
Media in his home country insist that De Zerbi will be more than just a coach, similar to how Sir Alex Ferguson was involved in every aspect of Manchester United, a role given to very few managers in modern football.
One of the few such cases is Mikel Arteta at Arsenal, the report claims, with both north London sides now opting for an all-purpose traditional ‘manager’ as opposed to the more structured sporting hierarchy seen at most clubs today.
The former Brighton manager has already reportedly suffered initial concerns with Papu Matar Sarr’s shoulder problem, which he picked up during his stint with Senegal, and looks set to be in full control come the time when Tottenham’s injury-hit squad rebuilds this summer.
