No to De Zerbi [Updated]

Update: 9 April

The following was written before Roberto de Zerbi was officially appointed as Tottenham Hotspur men’s first team coach. As I explain in this follow-up piece, many of the concerns still remain. However, the Italian has now answered questions on the issue in a manner that I think allows us to move forward. Original article below.

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We all heard it. The audio allegedly revealing an assault by Mason Greenwood. There were also horrifying images of injuries. He denies the charges, including attempted rape and assault and they have been dropped.

A revolt at Man Utd stopped his return to the team there. The forward was then taken up by Roberto de Zerbi at Marseille. The Italian now looks set to be on his way to Tottenham Hotspur to replace Igor Tudor.

De Zerbi has described the 24-year-old as a “good guy”, adding he had paid a “heavy price”. Going further, he said: “It saddens me what happened in his life, because I know a totally different person than the one who was described.”

Quite simply, somebody with judgment like that is not somebody I want managing the football team I support. I share the view expressed by key fan groups. Women of the Lane said: “This is not an appointment Tottenham Hotspur should make.”

Proud Lilywhites said: “When someone in that position publicly defends a player like Mason Greenwood, and frames it in a way that downplays the seriousness of what happened, it matters, not just in isolation but in what it signals.”

Roberto de Zerbi and a Lack of Remorse

Back in 2014, we had a not dissimilar case with Ched Evans. He returned to playing for Sheffield United after leaving prison, having served time for rape. (Evans later had the conviction quashed and was found not guilty in a re-trial.) 

Writing for The Spectator back then, I said: “If I were a Sheffield United fan, I wouldn’t want his name on my replica shirt, but, having served the time, Evans does have the right to reintegrate and begin working again. What use is rehabilitation and prison otherwise?”

I stand by that.

The issue is that Mason Greenwood has paid almost no price, criminal or otherwise, for the audio we heard. Nike cancelled a contract with him. Beyond that, we have seen no sense of remorse for whatever it was that happened that night. If we had, and if de Zerbi had been part of that process, I would feel entirely different about this situation.

Of course, the alleged victim is entitled to drop the charges against Greenwood. Football clubs are similarly entitled to hire him and those associated with him. However, in so doing they should take in account not just Greenwood’s footballing ability, or the managerial skills of those prepared to work with him. If we really want to make progress in tackling violence against women and girls, rehabilitation and reintegration needs to come with caveats – acknowledgement, reform, regret.

I’ve seen none of that from Greenwood. Therefore, it is no to Roberto de Zerbi, the man who brought him back into professional football.