Things may have ended on a sour note but there’s a reason why a giant portrait of Roberto De Zerbi adorns the wall outside the home dressing room at the Amex Stadium. It was taken in 2023 at the end of the Italian’s first season at Brighton after he led the club to sixth in the Premier League – their highest ever finish – and took them to Europe for the first time.
Three years later, memories of De Zerbi still run strong among Brighton supporters. It’s a legacy that Fabian Hürzeler has found difficult to replicate since succeeding De Zerbi, who clashed with club owner Tony Bloom over team recruitment.
Although Hürzeler has shown more willingness to work with the tools at his disposal, the youngest manager in Premier League history has struggled to win over fans, partly due to the expectations raised by De Zerbi’s tenure. It is something that Tottenham fans would struggle to understand after their experiences of recent seasons, but De Zerbi, described by Pep Guardiola as “one of the most influential managers of the last 20 years”, could provide new hope when they need it most after his appointment on a five-year contract.
The selection of the ex-Napoli player still represents a gamble for Spurs’ squad that is smart from Igor Tudor’s poor season, due to his habit of shooting from the hip. It was after Brighton were beaten 4-0 by Roma in March 2024 in the last 16 of the Europa League that De Zerbi – described when he was built by his opposite number, Daniele De Rossi, as a “genius” – took the nuclear option with Bloom.
He said: “Today we paid for our mistakes. From the owners to the coaches to the players. There is a lesson for the chairman because in the future we will be able to improve the team. For me because I would have handled the period between January and March very well and for the players because they will leave with a lot of sadness. And with that disappointment in the future you know what to expect and you can improve.”
It proved to be the beginning of the end for De Zerbi at Brighton, who won just one of their 10 Premier League games after relegation from Europe and finished 11th, well placed for a top-half finish at the start of the season, despite plenty of top form last summer.
In January 2024, when Jürgen Klopp announced his decision to leave Liverpool, De Zerbi was mentioned as a possible successor, while Barcelona and Bayern Munich were also linked with the man who started his coaching career in Serie D with Darfo Boario.
His fall a few months ago at Brighton is thought to have put off potential scouts from the big leagues and in June 2024, with a good three-year contract, he joined Marseille, who were impressed by Brighton’s comeback from 2-0 to draw 2-2 in their Europa League group game last year.
Ligue 1 was probably not where he planned to manage in the future. Early on, De Zerbi proved his style adapted to another country and he once again proved himself popular with the supporters after leading the club to second place in his first season, despite not playing the football that was his calling card at Brighton. The concern for Tottenham supporters will be that with just seven games to ensure Premier League survival, he will not have time to implement his preferred 4-2-3-1 system which relies on strong pressing and quick transitions.
A training ground incident involving former Watford player Ismaël Koné that went viral last year and resurfaced this week shed light on De Zerbi’s approach when he chastised the Canada international for holding too many people in training, telling him to “call your agent”. Koné went on loan to Rennes. De Zerbi, despite recording Marseille’s first win against Paris Saint-Germain at the Stade Vélodrome for 14 years earlier this season, De Zerbi left by mutual consent in February following a 5-0 thrashing by the reigning European champions at the Parc des Princes.
“It’s the first time in my career I’ve had a team so inconsistent – I don’t understand it,” said an angry De Zerbi, although critics said he had never named a consistent side all season, so he must bear the blame for the inconsistency. Marseille struggled to break down defensively-minded teams in Ligue 1, and Benfica’s stunning late Champions League goal against Real Madrid meant they missed out on the playoffs, finishing 25th in the league on goal difference.
Tottenham were interested in De Zerbi after sacking Thomas Frank in February but De Zerbi is believed to have been reluctant to make a move in the middle of the season, especially having just left Marseille, preferring to wait until the summer to consider his options. But Spurs stepped up talks with the 46-year-old after their situation deteriorated under Tudor and managed to convince him to change his mind.
Assurances of major summer investment to reshape the club in his sights – if they can avoid relegation – will no doubt be a first and will sound familiar to Bloom and Brighton supporters.
In a club that has been on the wrong side for a long time, perhaps the ambitious De Zerbi can give Tottenham some much-needed new direction.
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