By OkayGoal 
Tottenham Hotspur manager Roberto de Zerbi has apologised to fans over comments he made about Marseille striker Mason Greenwood.
De Zerbi has been named as the new head coach at Spurs with his appointment having been met with opposition from several supporter groups. The opposition is a result of De Zerbi’s public support of Greenwood, who he coached at Marseille.
During his time at Manchester United, Greenwood was charged with attempted rape, assault occasioning actual bodily harm and controlling and coercive behaviour, all relating to the same woman.
The charges were later dropped, with The Crown Prosecution Service stating the charges were discontinued after key witnesses withdrew their involvement and “new material came to light”.
De Zerbi spoke out publicly in support of Greenwood while at Marseille and has now apologised to the fans unhappy with his past comments. The Italian said he ‘never wanted to downplay the issue of violence against women’.
Speaking to the Spurs website, he said: “I have never wanted to downplay the issue of violence against women, or violence against anyone more broadly.”
The 46-year-old added that he had always “stood up for those” that needed protecting.
“I’ve consistently fought and taken a stand to be on the side of those who are most at risk,” he said.
“Those of you who know me well, will know that I’m not the kind of person who makes compromises to win more games or win an extra title.
“I’m sorry if I offended anyone’s feelings with this subject matter. I have a daughter and I’m very sensitive to these things and I always have been.
“I hope that over time people will get to know me better and understand that at that moment, I didn’t mean to take a stance.”
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