Credit: Tung Manh Phan

Richie Mills

Wed 1 April 2026 18:00, UK

Tottenham Hotspur‘s decision to hire Roberto De Zerbi has brought Gordon Strachan’s timeless warning about football’s poor morals into sharp focus.

De Zerbi was unveiled as Tottenham’s new head coach on Tuesday, with the Italian signing a five-year deal for the relegation-threatened Premier League team.

The former Brighton and Marseille boss, who succeeds the recently dismissed Igor Tudor, has come under fire for his support of Mason Greenwood.

De Zerbi previously said Greenwood “paid in a strong way” after leaving Manchester United for Marseille after attempted rape and assault charges were dropped against him. The 46-year-old also said the person he knows (Greenwood) was “very different” from the one that has been described in England.

Tottenham Hotspur Supporters’ Trust said it could not support De Zerbi’s appointment but if the former Shakhtar Donetsk manager keeps them in the English top-flight, much of that may be forgiven or forgotten by Spurs fans.

Gordon Strachan’s passionate football rant still rings true

Back in 2014, former Scotland international Strachan claimed that we don’t have any morals in football, before outlining that he has encountered wife-batterers, drunken-driving incidents, and infidelity during his playing and managerial career.

And perhaps Tottenham’s appointment of De Zerbi, who has not been accused of any of these things but has drawn criticism for his apparent defence of Greenwood, highlights how footballing results take precedence over morals.

In the clip, Strachan also says: “The supporters, when these guys come back, stand up and applaud them onto the pitch.

“So don’t anyone start talking about morals because we don’t have any in football. All it’s about is winning football matches.

“If these things had been done by youth team players, who have not got any importance to the first team, they [would] get sacked. Because [first team players] can bring in merchandise and bring in money, they (clubs) will back them to the hilt.”

Gary Neville said something not too dissimilar many years ago. In elite sport, professionals have a win at all costs mentality.

If De Zerbi keeps them up, Tottenham won’t suffer losses upwards of £250million. He may be more fondly viewed than Thomas Frank or Tudor if they survive this season.

Is De Zerbi the right man for the Tottenham job?

Tottenham sit one point and one place above the relegation zone with seven matches of the Premier League season remaining.

This rudderless Spurs team haven’t won a league game in 2026 and have been sliding towards the bottom three for months now.

Tottenham sporting director Johan Lange admitted De Zerbi was their top summer target but due to their predicament, they moved quickly to appoint him on a long-term deal.

He said, “Roberto was our number one target for the summer and we are very pleased to be able to bring him in now. He is one of the most creative and forward-thinking coaches in world football, and brings with him a wealth of experience at the highest level, including in the Premier League.”

De Zerbi failed to win any of his first five Brighton games when he took over mid-season in 2022 but had a much better start at Marseille, although he had a pre-season under his belt.

If Tottenham start slowly under the Italian, they are likely to get relegated. De Zerbi needs to start with a bang, starting with an away trip to Sunderland on 12 April. Whether they can do that is another matter.