Roberto De Zerbi The Right Man To Replace Sacked Thomas Frank At Tottenham
Thomas Frank's eight-month reign as Tottenham manager ended with a whimper and the search is on to find his replacement.
The Dane was sacked following a 2-1 home defeat by Newcastle which left Spurs five points clear of the relegation zone, although it would have been just three had Manchester United not produced a stoppage-time equaliser at West Ham on the same night.
The idea of Tottenham playing in the second tier for the first time since 1977 might sound fanciful, but there is no doubt they are in a relegation battle. The club had to act.
Mauricio Pochettino, Oliver Glasner, Marco Silva and Robbie Keane have all been mentioned as contenders for the job on betting sites, while some have suggested appointing an interim head coach for the time being before more options become available in the summer.
John Heitinga, who was brought in to assist Frank last month, would be the obvious pick for that role.
But there is a stronger candidate out there. Frank is not the only high-profile manager to have left his job.
Just a few hours before Tottenham made a change, Marseille announced that Roberto De Zerbi had left the Stade Velodrome.
The Club has taken the decision to make a change in the Men’s Head Coach position and Thomas Frank will leave today.
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) February 11, 2026
Thomas was appointed in June 2025, and we have been determined to give him the time and support needed to build for the future together.
However, results and… pic.twitter.com/mo82TaAXts
De Zerbi would be the perfect man to succeed Frank. He is a talented coach with admirers all over Europe.
The Italian has Premier League experience from his near-two-year spell at the helm of Brighton.
He did a fine job on the south coast, leading the Seagulls to a sixth-place finish, Europa League qualification and the semi-finals of the FA Cup.
Crucially, De Zerbi’s teams play bright, attacking football. Results were the biggest problem for Frank, but performances did not help him either.
More than most, the Tottenham fan base demands a proactive, front-footed style. “To dare is to do” is the club’s motto, after all.
Some may caution against hiring De Zerbi at this moment. His approach is very different to that of Frank, so parachuting him into a potential relegation fight might not be prudent.
But for all that Spurs should take the threat of dropping out of the top flight seriously, it would not take much for them to pull clear of trouble.
De Zerbi would inject some much-needed positivity into the camp. The Tottenham squad is far from the best in the league, but it is much stronger than its 16th-place status suggests.
In a way, Frank’s style was the bigger risk. In Ange Postecoglou, Spurs had an attack-minded boss last season, so it will not take much for the players to adopt that sort of mindset again.
Would De Zerbi want the job? No one knows for certain, but despite everything Tottenham are an attractive project. Their stadium is among the best in Europe and they are in the last 16 of the Champions League.
Next Tottenham Manager Odds:
Manager | Odds | Betting Site |
Roberto De Zerbi | 3/1 | |
Mauricio Pochettino | 4/1 | |
John Heitinga | 5/1 | |
Robbie Keane | 6/1 | |
Oliver Glasner | 14/1 | |
Gareth Southgate | 20/1 | |
Marco Silva | 20/1 | |
Ruben Amorim | 20/1 | |
Andoni Iraola | 25/1 | |
Ryan Mason | 25/1 | |
Enzo Maresca | 33/1 | |
Xavi Hernandez | 33/1 | |
Scott Parker | 33/1 | |
Diego Simeone | 33/1 | |
Harry Redknapp | 40/1 |
(Odds correct at the time of publishing: 9.30am - 12/02/2026)
Marseille are a big club in France but not necessarily on the continent. The fact that De Zerbi chose to join them in 2024 shows he is not one to hold out for the most prestigious jobs around.
Moreover, there is talent in the Tottenham dressing room, even though - as noted by former Tottenham striker Louis Saha - recruitment has been mediocre for some time.
Speaking exclusively to casino comparison site Gambling.com, Saha said: "In my opinion, they have not purchased the right players. They want to play attacking football, but they play with two sitting midfielders with very similar profiles.
"They are good players, but not in a way that you need to dominate midfield. So there are many kinds of choices that they have to make."
Bad Timing For Poch
The possibility of a second spell for Pochettino is undeniably alluring, but there is one big problem. The Argentinian is tied up until the summer, when he will coach the USA at World Cup 2026.
Tottenham’s predicament means they cannot afford to wait. If they make the wrong decision now, they could find themselves in the Championship next season.
Unlike Glasner, Silva and Keane, De Zerbi is available without the need to negotiate with another club. That too is vital.
Tottenham’s next game is against Arsenal. Their new manager will need as much preparation time as possible, not only for the north London derby but for the games that follow.
Spurs arguably took too long to sack Frank, who had been struggling for months. Now is the time for decisive action. De Zerbi is ready and waiting.
Who do Spurs fans want as their next manager? Comment below or vote in the poll above!
