Roberto de Zerbi apologises to Spurs fans over Mason Greenwood comments

The Spurs Supporters's Trust expressed serious and far-reaching concerns” over his past support for Mason Greenwood.

De Zerbi's appointment has been opposed by a number of Spurs fan groups because of remarks the Italian made about Greenwood during the time he spent managing the Englishman at Marseille.

Greenwood faced charges of attempted rape, controlling and coercive behaviour and assault occasioning actual bodily harm in 2022, before they were dropped by the CPS due to: "A combination of the withdrawal of key witnesses and new material that came to light", which meant there was "no realistic prospect of conviction", per BBC Sport.

Speaking to the Tottenham Hotspur website, just days after his appointment was confirmed, de Zerbi issued an apology, saying: "I have never wanted to downplay the issue of violence against women, or violence against anyone more broadly.

"I've consistently fought and taken a stand to be on the side of those who are most at risk.

"Those of you who know me well, will know that I'm not the kind of person who makes compromises to win more games or win an extra title.

"I'm sorry if I offended anyone's feelings with this subject matter. I have a daughter and I'm very sensitive to these things and I always have been.

"I hope that over time people will get to know me better and understand that at that moment, I didn't mean to take a stance."

What had de Zerbi said about Greenwood?

The comments which were reported to have caused opposition from Spurs fans were as follows.

"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.

"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."