Greenwood, who was 20 at the time, was widely regarded as one of England’s most promising young players when he was arrested in January 2022.
The Crown Prosecution Service dropped charges against him in February 2023 owing to “a combination of the withdrawal of key witnesses and new material that came to light”, which meant there was “no realistic prospect of conviction”.
He subsequently left Old Trafford, initially moving to Spanish side Getafe on loan before signing for Marseille in July 2024 in a controversial deal worth up to £26.6m.
The 24-year-old has gone on to score 47 times in 74 appearances across all competitions for the former European champions.
Alongside Paris St-Germain’s Ousmane Dembele, Greenwood was Ligue 1’s joint top scorer last season with 21 goals.
The comments which have angered many Tottenham fans were made in November.
“I don’t want to get involved in anyone’s private life. I don’t even get into the private lives of my children, because I want to give everyone their freedom,” De Zerbi said.
“All I can see is that Mason seems a good lad, he paid in a strong way for what happened.
“He has probably here found the right environment for him, which gave him affection, and held out its hand to him.
“When I look at him as a person, I feel sad for what happened in his life, without getting into the details.
“Because the person I know here is very different to the one that has been described, especially in England.”
De Zerbi was accused of downplaying the allegations and painting Greenwood as a victim.
The comments were called “unnecessary, ill-judged, and deeply offensive to a significant number of supporters” by one fans’ organisation.
