Tottenham Hotspur have appointed Ange Postecoglou as their new manager, but they did consider Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi before him.
Spurs parted ways with Antonio Conte at the end of March, and they were linked with about a dozen names to replace him.
Among them was De Zerbi, who has done a phenomenal job at Brighton, but after careful consideration, Tottenham decided against making a move for him. The Athletic has explained why.
The real reason why Tottenham didn’t appoint Roberto De Zerbi as their manager
Roberto De Zerbi replaced Graham Potter at Brighton last year, and he completely transformed the club.
The Italian led the Seagulls to a sixth-place finish, which is an extraordinary achievement considering that he only came in after the season started.
De Zerbi quickly became one of the most popular coaches in the Premier League, and the report claims that he was under consideration at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Spurs apparently felt his ‘own distinctive style of possession football’ would make him a ‘very exciting appointment’, but Levy and co then decided against it.
That is because of his ‘combustibility’, which they noticed first-hand during his altercation with Cristian Stellini at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium back in April.
The last thing Spurs wanted was another Italian with an attitude they didn’t like.
TBR View:
Roberto De Zerbi would’ve been a fantastic option for Tottenham.
The 44-year-old Italian, unlike Conte, plays a very attractive style of football. His team are a joy to watch, and they have struck fear in some of the biggest sides in the country.
Brighton finished above Spurs in the end and will play in the Europa League next season.
So, even if Tottenham were ready to accept his attitude and appoint him, the Italian would’ve probably rejected them and stayed at the Amex to play in Europe.
