Tottenham Supporters' Trust says it cannot support De Zerbi appointment

Opposition is growing among official Tottenham fans' groups to Roberto de Zerbi being named manager because of his controversial support of Mason Greenwood.

The Tottenham Hotspur Supporters' Trust held an emergency board meeting on Monday night and has now contacted the club to say it cannot support the appointment.

The group told BBC Sport that it had received "a lot of emails from supporters" lodging complaints.

Ali Speechly, the co-founder of Women of the Lane, said her group also opposed the appointment and she will stop attending matches over the issue.

De Zerbi has said Greenwood "paid in a strong way" after leaving Manchester United for Marseille after charges against him, including attempted rape and assault, were dropped.

Spurs have confirmed the former Brighton and Marseille manager as Igor Tudor's replacement on a five-year deal.

But De Zerbi faces a battle to be accepted as the club fights to preserve its Premier League status.

Greenwood was seen as one of United's most promising young players when, at the age of 20, he was arrested in January 2022.

All charges against the former England international were dropped in February 2023.

Greenwood left Old Trafford to continue his career, initially on loan at Getafe before joining Marseille in July 2024 in a deal worth up to £26.6m.

The transfer was agreed 19 days after De Zerbi was appointed as boss of the Ligue 1 club.

But it was controversial in the French city. The mayor, Benoit Payan, said that signing Greenwood was "unacceptable" and he did not want the club "to be covered in shame".

Marseille went ahead with the signing, and the 24-year-old has scored 47 times in 74 appearances across all competitions.

Alongside Paris St-Germain's Ousmane Dembele, Greenwood was Ligue 1's joint top scorer last season with 21 goals.

The comments which have angered many Spurs fans were made in November.

Before a Champions League game against Newcastle, De Zerbi was asked by an English journalist how things had been for the striker off the pitch.

"I don't want to get involved in anyone's private life. I don't even get into the private lives of my children, because I want to give everyone their freedom," De Zerbi told a pre-match news conference, external.

"All I can see is that Mason seems a good lad, he paid in a strong way for what happened.

"He has probably here found the right environment for him, which gave him affection, and held out its hand to him.

"When I look at him as a person, I feel sad for what happened in his life, without getting into the details.

"Because the person I know here is very different to the one that has been described, especially in England."

De Zerbi is accused of downplaying the allegations and painting Greenwood as a victim.

It is not the first time Tottenham have faced major opposition to a managerial appointment.

In June 2021, following the departure of Jose Mourinho, Spurs were linked with Gennaro Gattuso.

Some fans on social media referenced controversial comments the former Italy midfielder had previously made on subjects such as same sex marriage, external, and women in football.

A #NoToGattuso hashtag began trending on Twitter, and the Tottenham Hotspur Supporters' Trust raised the issue with the club.

Tottenham backed away and said Gattuso was not being considered as a candidate.

There are parallels with De Zerbi.

Trust secretary Tristan Foot told BBC Sport that it had taken on board complaints from supporters about the Italian and had been in touch with the club.

"We had an emergency meeting last night," Foot said. "That resulted in us writing to the chief executive and echoing those concerns and inviting them to reflect on the club's values."

Club sources told BBC Sport that De Zerbi's comments on Greenwood had been considered as part of the process to appoint him and had formed part of discussions.

Women of the Lane is one of a number of official Spurs fans' group to have voiced concerns across social media in recent days.

It was joined by Proud Lillywhites - the LGBTQI+ Supporters' Association, and SpursREACH, which promotes the values of fans from underrepresented ethnic backgrounds.

Speechly, who helped to create Women of the Lane two years ago, said the appointment brought into question the values and integrity of the club.

"The fact is that he hired him [Greenwood] as a player," Speechly said.

"And then continue to publicly back him and support him, sympathise with him.

"For me, that's just unforgivable. I think that speaks to the character of De Zerbi.

"I don't want him anywhere near my football club.

"This is about how we feel, this is about values, this is about integrity and, ultimately, it's about safety.

"It's about women feeling that they are safe around other men."

Speechly added that it undermines the work done by the club to build relationships with minority groups.

"Actions speak louder than words," Speechly added.

"In terms of my relationship with [the club] it's massively impacted it.

"In all honesty I don't have any intention now of going to the stadium if they do appoint De Zerbi."

The Trust issued a statement, external after De Zerbi's appointment, stating his comments were "unnecessary, ill-judged, and deeply offensive to a significant number of supporters".

"It is concerning that the club would put us in this position right when the team needs fans the most," it added.

"If those remarks reflect his genuine views, they cast a troubling shadow over the values of the club we love.

"The club must reassert its commitment to the values that fans hold dear - chief among them equality, respect, and integrity.

"Our preference would have been for a short-term appointment of an individual or individuals who understand the club."

Tottenham Hotspur have been approached for comment.