New Spurs coach Roberto De Zerbi has apologised for past comments in which he described Mason Greenwood as a “good guy”.
The new Tottenham boss said he was “sorry if I offended” anybody and always defended the “more fragile” in society, in his first interview since joining the club.
Greenwood joined Marseille from Manchester United in 2024 after charges against him, which included attempted rape and assault, were dropped.
Last November, De Zerbi described his player as a “good guy” who paid a “heavy price”.
He added at the time: “It saddens me what happened in his life, because I know a totally different person than the one who was described.”
Since joining Spurs this week, fan groups posted ‘No to De Zerbi’ statements over his defence of Greenwood.
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In his first interview with Tottenham’s in-house media, De Zerbi said in Italian: “I have never wanted to downplay the issue of violence against women or violence against anyone more broadly.
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“In my life, I have always stood up for those who are more vulnerable, more fragile. 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 am not the kind of person who makes compromises to win more games or to win an extra title.
” I apologise to those who I offended with this subject matter. I have a daughter and I’m very sensitive to these things and always have been.
“I hope that over time, people will get to know me better and will understand that at that moment I didn’t mean to take a stance.”
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The Crown Prosecution Service dropped the charges against Greenwood in February 2023 owing to “a combination of the withdrawal of key witnesses and new material that came to light”.
