New Tottenham manager Roberto De Zerbi has insisted he is committed to the club’s “ambition for the future” after signing a five-year contract, despite Spurs facing a relegation battle this season.

De Zerbi has been convinced to replace the sacked Igor Tudor for the final seven Premier League games of the season, with Spurs just sitting one point above the relegation zone and without a Premier League win this year.

Despite the threat of relegation, there is no break clause in De Zerbi’s contract should Tottenham drop into the Championship. The Italian lasted less than two seasons in his previous two spells at Brighton and Marseille.

“I am delighted to be joining this fantastic football club, which is one of the biggest and most prestigious in the world,” said De Zerbi, whose appointment at Tottenham’s new head is subject to work permit.

“In all my discussions with the club’s leadership, their ambition for the future has been clear – to build a team capable of reaching great achievements, and to do that playing a style of football that excites and inspires our supporters. I am here because I believe in that ambition and have signed a long-term contract to give everything to deliver it.

“Our short-term priority is to climb the Premier League table, which will be the complete focus until the final whistle of the last game of the season. I’m looking forward to getting out on the training pitch and working with these players to achieve that.”

De Zerbi is Tottenham’s fifth permanent head coach since Jose Mourinho was sacked in 2021, following Nuno Espirito Santo, Antonio Conte, Ange Postecoglou and Thomas Frank. Interm boss Tudor was dismissed after just seven games and 44 days.

De Zerbi, meanwhile, left Marseille by mutual agreement in February after a Champions League exit in the league phase and a 5-0 loss to PSG domestically. He was linked with the Tottenham job after they sacked Frank, but Tudor was identified as a short-term solution.

It was also initially thought that De Zerbi, 46, was only happy to join Spurs at the end of the season, once he knew their league status, but has had a change of heart and will become head coach immediately to try and steer them away from the drop.

De Zerbi’s appointment has also faced backlash from some sections of Tottenham’s support. Three fan groups urged the club not to make the appointment due to the Italian having backed controversial Marseille forward Mason Greenwood during his time in charge of the French club.