How rival Premier League clubs have reacted to Tottenham hiring Roberto De Zerbi

Add as preferred source on Google

Tottenham Hotspur’s decision to appoint Roberto De Zerbi has raised eyebrows across the league, with rival clubs already forming strong early opinions on the move.

Tottenham Hotspur are far from safe in the Premier League this season, with the possibility of relegation to the Championship still very high.

However, while many would have expected the club to turn to a pragmatic relegation specialist in this situation, Spurs instead opted for something different.

The Lilywhites, with the appointment of Roberto De Zerbi, look to be trying to attack their way out of danger, given the Italian’s expansive style of football.

It remains to be seen if De Zerbi sticks to all of his principles, with the new Spurs boss already stating that it will be difficult for him to implement all of his tactics at the moment.

Tottenham appointment reaction: Miguel Delaney reveals rival club views on Roberto De Zerbi

Miguel Delaney, in his newsletter, has now revealed what other clubs think about Spurs’ appointment of Roberto De Zerbi.

Securing the signature of the 46-year-old manager did not come easily, with Tottenham offering a significant contract to De Zerbi, said to be in close to the same bracket as both Pep Guardiola and Mikel Arteta.

Detailing the reaction from across the league, including surprise and even shock from some rivals, Delaney wrote in The Independent’s Inside Football newsletter:

“The primary reaction from other clubs to Roberto De Zerbi’s appointment at Tottenham Hotspur has been surprise – and, in the case of one rival, ‘shock’.

“It is not a question of the Italian’s ability; everyone knows he is a good coach. The surprise stems more from placing someone with such strong ideological tendencies into this specific situation.

“A Spurs squad with a lot of ‘football scar tissue,’ as one source put it, will have to learn yet another way of playing – and in a newly pressurised environment.

“It is not like Brighton in 2022, where a settled squad had been primed for an evolution under De Zerbi. The flip side, however, is that he is surely capable of getting the two wins Spurs need.”

Spurs outlook under Roberto De Zerbi amid relegation battle

Of course, while De Zerbi is walking into an entirely different environment from the one he entered in 2022 at Brighton, the new Spurs boss does come with more experience.

Not only does he have experience in Europe, but he also has experience in the Premier League, and that could make a difference in Tottenham’s seven remaining games.

De Zerbi has since opened up on how he sees the remaining fixtures, revealing that he is not looking too far ahead but will instead take it one game at a time.

Tottenham can afford such an approach, having been knocked out of all competitions this season, and with significant time between league games, De Zerbi will have more opportunity to implement his style, similar to his time at Brighton.

• READ MORE: Tottenham briefly considered Ange Postecoglou return before turning to De Zerbi