April 2 (Reuters) - New Tottenham Hotspur manager Roberto De Zerbi said he will remain in charge next season regardless of results, describing the role as the biggest challenge of his career after signing a long-term contract with the relegation-threatened Premier League club.
Former Brighton & Hove Albion manager De Zerbi was appointed following the departure of Croatian Igor Tudor, with Spurs battling to avoid the drop from the top flight for the first time since 1977.
The 46-year-old has seven games to lift Spurs out of danger, with the North London side 17th on 30 points, only one point and place above the relegation zone after 31 matches and without a league victory 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 in-house YouTube channel.
"I will be the coach of Tottenham next season, no matter what."
De Zerbi is set to take charge of his first match away to Sunderland on April 12.
The Italian acknowledged Spurs are enduring a "tough moment" but said the squad has the quality to overcome their 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)
