SOCCER: De Zerbi commits to stay at Spurs next season regardless of results

New Tottenham Hotspur manager Roberto De Zerbi has vowed to remain in charge next season, calling his role the biggest challenge of his career after signing a long-term deal with the Premier League club.

De Zerbi, formerly of Brighton & Hove Albion, was appointed following the departure of Croatian manager Igor Tudor, as Spurs fight to avoid relegation from the top flight for the first time since 1977.

The 46-year-old has seven games to lift Tottenham out of danger. The North London club sits 17th with 30 points—just one point above the relegation zone—after 31 matches and without a league win since December.

“I signed a five-year contract because for me it is a big challenge,” De Zerbi said in his first interview with the club’s YouTube channel. “I will be the coach of Tottenham next season, no matter what.”

De Zerbi is set to lead his first match away to Sunderland on April 12. He acknowledged the club is going through a “tough moment” but stressed that the squad has the quality to overcome its struggles.

“We have to be focused on the Sunderland game. I don’t want to talk about the schedule. Game by game we have to prepare the players to win,” he said. “After this part of the season, I think we can become great in the future.”

-Reporting by Suramya Kaushik in Bengaluru; editing by Pritha Sarkar/Reuters