Tottenham have been urged to condemn violence against women and girls following new manager Roberto De Zerbi’s recent comments about Mason Greenwood.
Tottenham Supporters’ Trust release statement
The Tottenham Hotspur Supporters’ Trust has called on the club to reaffirm its stance after the 46-year-old Italian was appointed as their new manager due to his “unnecessary, ill-judged and deeply offensive” comments about Greenwood during their time together at French side Marseille.
Greenwood was charged in October 2022 with one count of attempted rape, control and coercion and one count of assault occasioning actual bodily harm for allegedly involving a woman after the images and videos were posted online, although the Crown Prosecution Service dropped the charges in February 2023.
Commenting on De Zerbi’s appointment to a five-year contract in a statement issued to X, THST said: “The club has previously committed itself to the challenging cases of violence against women and girls and to act with integrity and uphold its principles when faced with any incidents.
“De Zerbi’s comments about Mason Greenwood were unnecessary, ill-judged, and deeply offensive to a large number of fans and will, without doubt, leave victims of male violence in shock.
“We believe that these statements, if ignored, will cause division among the fans at a time when we must all come together to support the team.
|
Premier League manager salaries – click for full list |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Level |
The manager |
The club |
Salary per year |
|
1 |
Pep Guardiola |
Man City |
£20m |
|
2 |
Roberto De Zerbi |
Tottenham |
£12m |
|
3 |
Mikel Arteta |
Arsenal |
£10m |
|
4 |
Unai Emery |
Aston Villa |
£8m |
|
5 |
Arne Slot |
Liverpool |
£6.6m |
|
6 |
Eddie Howe |
Newcastle |
£6m |
|
7 |
David Moyes |
Everton |
£5m |
“The fans support the program ‘Together, Always’, and this appointment puts a huge burden on that unity.
“The party must reaffirm its commitment to the principles that fans respect—prime among them equality, respect and integrity. Any perceived sympathy for those accused of sexually abusing women seriously undermines the party’s credibility.”
Exclusive: Will Tottenham sign Mason Greenwood? Roberto De Zerbi wants the Spurs officials to appear
The incoming Spurs manager has a list of demands for his new club.
Charges against Manchester United striker Greenwood were dropped due to “a combination of the withdrawal of key witnesses and new developments”, meaning there was “no realistic prospect of a conviction”.
He resumed his career and joined Marseille in 2024, De Zerbi describing the player in November as “a good person” who paid a “heavy price”, and added: “I am sad what happened in his life because I know a completely different person than the one described.”
De Zerbi forces Spurs to give him full control
According to Italian reports, via Sport Witness, this new manager was not only given a longer contract than the fans wanted, he was also given greater power to manage the team.
The media in his country say that De Zerbi will not be just a coach, in the same way that Sir Alex Ferguson was involved in all aspects of Manchester United, a role that very few managers are given in today’s football.
One of the few such cases is Mikel Arteta at Arsenal, said the report, with both North London clubs now opting to have a traditional “manager” who will end up unlike the highly structured sporting divisions seen in many clubs today.
The former Brighton boss is reported to have already been affected by his initial concerns over the condition of Pape Matar Sarr’s shoulder problem, who has continued international duty with Senegal, and looks set to take full control when it comes time to rebuild Tottenham’s injured squad this summer.
