Roberto De Zerbi
Tottenham Hotspur head coach Roberto De Zerbi is on a mission to reignite his team’s confidence and secure their Premier League status. The Italian manager has been leveraging innovative methods, such as showcasing the players’ past performances on YouTube, to remind them of their capabilities. Despite improvements in the last two matches, Spurs have yet to secure a league victory in 2026 and face a critical match against Wolves at Molineux, a venue where they haven’t won in over five years.
Roberto De Zerbi said: “My words are not enough and I try to find the best solution to reach every player. Sometimes you arrive with a video, sometimes with words, sometimes with red wine, or a beer. You have to find the balance. The balance between the football and the improvement on the pitch because we play football. But I think the most important part for a player is [the head] and the heart.”
De Zerbi is focused on reminding his players of their past successes and potential, using examples like Randal Kolo Muani’s performances at Eintracht Frankfurt to inspire confidence. He believes that understanding and leveraging their strengths, rather than dwelling on past failures, is crucial for the team’s survival in the Premier League.
Roberto De Zerbi added: “It’s what they have done in their career, also in other clubs. If I play with [Randal] Kolo Muani as right winger it’s because he has played in that position. If you go to YouTube, and go to Kolo Muani Eintracht Frankfurt, you can see he played very well in that position and scored a lot of goals.”
The head coach is determined to prevent his players from being bogged down by the shortcomings of a challenging season, where they have only managed seven wins in the league. Instead, he aims to highlight their inherent qualities and potential to win games and secure their place in the top flight.
Roberto De Zerbi stated: “I am used to working in this way and I go to war for my ideas. I am honest and sincere and don’t like to say something when I don’t believe it. I am sure they are good players. I don’t know what happened in the past with the coaches before I came and I want to show them what they are very good at doing on the pitch, because they have incredible qualities and you have to put the focus on the qualities and not on their faults.”
Despite the challenges, including injuries to key players like Destiny Udogie, Guglielmo Vicario, and Pape Matar Sarr, De Zerbi remains optimistic. He acknowledges the difficulties but emphasizes the importance of focusing on the present and future, rather than past setbacks.
Roberto De Zerbi concluded: “Better if he plays, for sure, but as a leader, he is a positive guy. Bah, I don’t know but we can’t go back. Like the Sunderland game [after the Premier League panel admitted Brian Brobbey should have been sent off], we have to think from now until the end of the season. Not before, otherwise we lose energy.”
As Tottenham prepares for their upcoming match against Wolves, De Zerbi’s approach is clear: harness the players’ past achievements and qualities to inspire a turnaround in their Premier League campaign.
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