Credit: Imago

James Barker

Fri 3 April 2026 10:00, UK

Tony Pulis is shocked that Roberto De Zerbi has signed a five-year contract with Tottenham Hotspur due to the “constant changes” at Spurs’ boardroom level.

De Zerbi has committed his long-term future to Tottenham, as he hopes to steer the Lilywhites to Premier League survival.

Given the nature of his five-year deal, it appears highly unlikely that Spurs will be able to terminate his contract this summer should they be relegated to the Championship.

As such, both in the length of the contract and the nature of De Zerbi’s tactical requirements and complexities, appointing him is a clear statement from Tottenham that he’s not here to be a ‘firefighter’.

Numerous Tottenham managers over the years have been critical of how the Club is ran at boardroom level too, and it’s this that has Pulis surprised that De Zerbi has both taken the job, and with such a lengthy contract.

What has Tony Pulis said about Roberto De Zerbi and Tottenham?

De Zerbi has a huge job on his hands at Spurs, as not only is there a myriad of short-term problems to solve, but now that we know he’s here for the long-term, there’s also plenty of issues that need addressing beyond this season.

One of which is going to be how De Zerbi and Tottenham chiefs work together when it comes to the transfer market.

A coach of the Italians’ standard is likely to want a significant input and say on player recruitment, but in the modern world of football, that’s increasingly not how things work.

We’re living in the age where the vast majority of the scouting and recruitment is done by heads of football and other figures in suits, with the manager left to coach up the players they’re delivered.

And, speaking in his BBC Sport column, former manager Pulis is worried that this element, alongside Tottenham’s tendency to make hierarchical change, will work against De Zerbi in N17.

“Behind the scenes they have not only moved on from long-serving executive Daniel Levy, who left in September after almost 25 years in the role, they have also consistently changed important roles in their management structure,” Pulis said.

“By doing that, I’ve got no doubt that the club has impinged on their coach’s ability to construct and sustain a stable players’ identity model, which could and would instil a much more aligned system on the pitch.

“As I’ve mentioned in previous columns, today’s managers and coaches are more or less given players to coach rather than choosing signings themselves.

“If you are the manager and you have real differences of opinion with the people making those decisions, or there are constant changes above you, then goodness knows how you can be successful, whoever you are.

“With that in mind, and also looking at where Spurs have gone wrong with some of their player recruitment in recent years.

“I cannot believe that a manager of Roberto de Zerbi’s standing would sign a five-year contract without him having some say on signings and the new players who will be coming into the club.”

Spurs chiefs have to work closely with De Zerbi on transfers

As aforementioned, De Zerbi’s tactical philosophy is not only intense, but it’s very rigid in the sense that either a player works in his system, or they don’t.

Therefore, leaving it up to the recruitment staff to simply sign players largely off their own volition would be a dangerous game to play with a coach like De Zerbi in charge.

Not only because you risk throwing away money on players that he doesn’t want, but if that was to happen, the 46-year-old is not the type to refrain from speaking his mind.

So, Spurs chiefs have to give more autonomy to De Zerbi regarding transfers than perhaps their more recent appointments.