Tottenham chief backs De Zerbi despite winless start and bottom-place Premier League standing

Tottenham chief executive Vinai Venkatesham has given Roberto De Zerbi a public vote of confidence after the club’s worst start to a Premier League season in recent memory, with Spurs sitting bottom of the table and winless after five fixtures.

Speaking at the club’s first Fan Advisory Board meeting of the campaign, Venkatesham acknowledged supporter frustration but pointed to what he described as encouraging signs beneath the surface. He said he was “encouraged by aspects of the underlying performances since the opening day defeat at Brentford”, highlighting that Tottenham created numerous clear chances without converting them in matches against Newcastle, Nottingham Forest and Everton.

The poor run has come despite a summer of heavy investment, with over £380 million spent on more than ten new arrivals including Sandro Tonali, Mateus Fernandes and Savio. Venkatesham was direct in his support for the new head coach: he “expressed confidence in Roberto De Zerbi, in the players brought in and in the changes made, noting the considerable work under way behind the scenes.”

The chief executive also framed the slow start within the broader context of an extensive squad overhaul. Established figures such as Guglielmo Vicario, Cristian Romero, Djed Spence, Kevin Danso and Joao Palhinha all departed, and Venkatesham noted that “significant changes over the summer, both on and off the pitch” might “take time to take full effect”.

On the financial side, Venkatesham was candid about the pressures facing the club. Tottenham raised roughly £150 million from player sales — including highly-rated teenager Luka Vuskovic joining Brighton for £50 million — and received a £120 million capital injection from majority owners the Lewis family last month. Despite that, Venkatesham stressed that “financial regulations represented a genuine constraint”, noting the club had not recorded a profit since 2019 and that costs were rising through continued investment.

He added that Tottenham needed to “improve as a seller of players, having achieved limited returns in previous years”, with further fees expected next summer as loan obligations for Radu Dragusin and Danso convert to permanent deals, and potential permanent exits for Vicario and Pape Sarr — both of whom left with options in their respective deals — could generate additional income.