Tottenham Hotspur have confirmed the appointment of Roberto De Zerbi as their new head coach on a long-term contract.
The 46-year-old Italian has signed a deal that club sources say will run for five years.
De Zerbi will take charge of his first match when Tottenham travel to face Sunderland in the Premier League on April 12.
The North London club are currently battling near the bottom of the table.
Tottenham sit 17th in the standings and are just one point above the relegation zone.
That leaves De Zerbi with the immediate task of steering the team away from danger during the closing weeks of the season.
Speaking after his appointment was confirmed, De Zerbi expressed excitement about the challenge ahead.
“I am delighted to be joining this fantastic football club, which is one of the biggest and most prestigious in the world,” he said. “In all my discussions with the club’s leadership, their ambition for the future has been clear.”
De Zerbi said his immediate focus will be on improving Tottenham’s position in the league.
“Our short-term priority is to climb the Premier League table,” he added. “That will be the complete focus until the final whistle of the last game of the season.”
Tottenham sporting director Johan Lange described the Italian as the club’s preferred candidate.
“Roberto was our number one target for the summer and we are very pleased to bring him in now,” Lange said. “He is one of the most creative and forward-thinking coaches in world football.”
De Zerbi becomes Tottenham’s third head coach of the season.
He replaces Igor Tudor, who left the club after a short spell in charge.
Tudor oversaw only one point in five Premier League matches before Tottenham decided to make another change.
De Zerbi has been without a club since leaving Olympique Marseille earlier this year.
Before that he built his reputation in England during his time with Brighton & Hove Albion.
During his spell at Brighton he guided the club to their highest ever Premier League finish and secured qualification for European competition for the first time.
Earlier in his coaching career he also worked with Sassuolo and Shakhtar Donetsk.
His second match in charge of Tottenham will come against one of his former teams.
Spurs are scheduled to face Brighton on April 18.
Tottenham hope De Zerbi’s appointment will stabilise the club during a turbulent season.
The immediate priority, however, will be ensuring that the team secures its Premier League status before the campaign concludes.
