De Zerbi additionally claimed he would be the Tottenham boss subsequent season no matter relegation
Roberto De Zerbi has issued an apology for previous feedback concerning Mason Greenwood, insisting he would by no means search to minimise points surrounding violence in opposition to girls.
The brand new Tottenham head coach addressed the controversy following his appointment, which got here after the dismissal of Igor Tudor with the membership struggling close to the underside of the Premier League desk.
De Zerbi’s earlier remarks about Greenwood, made throughout his time at Marseille, had drawn criticism from supporter teams together with Proud Lilywhites, Girls of the Lane and Spurs Attain within the lead-up to his arrival.
In his first interview with the membership, De Zerbi stated: “I wish to reply your query in Italian as a result of I wish to be clear.
“I’ve by no means wished to downplay the difficulty of violence in opposition to girls or violence in opposition to anybody extra broadly.
“In my life, I’ve at all times stood up for individuals who are extra weak, extra fragile, I’ve constantly fought and brought a stand to be on the facet of those that are most in danger.
“These of you who know me effectively, will know that I’m not the form of one who makes compromises to win extra video games or to win an additional title.
“I’m sorry if I offended anybody’s feeling with this material – I’ve a daughter and I’m very delicate to those issues, and I at all times have been.
“I hope that over time folks will get to know me higher and can perceive that at that second I didn’t meant to take a stance.”
De Zerbi’s phrases on Greenwood controversy
Greenwood confronted critical costs in 2022 which have been later dropped by the Crown Prosecution Service as a consequence of inadequate proof. He has since resumed his profession in France.
De Zerbi had beforehand described the ahead as a “good man” who had paid a “heavy worth”, feedback that prompted backlash when his identify emerged as Tottenham’s most popular managerial candidate.
The Tottenham Hotspur Supporters’ Belief additionally voiced issues following his appointment, though it’s understood the membership mentioned the difficulty intimately with De Zerbi throughout negotiations earlier than confirming him as head coach.
