Tottenham players are still getting used to life under Roberto De Zerbi, but Benfica goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin has already offered a detailed glimpse into what working with the Italian is actually like.
And judging by the Ukranian’s words, the current Spurs manager leaves a very strong impression on his players.
Speaking to A Bola, the 24-year-old reflected on his season under De Zerbi at Shakhtar Donetsk in 2021/22. The Italian clearly changed the way he sees football.
Trubin described De Zerbi with one word: “Crazy.”
But it was not criticism though. Quite the opposite.
Trubin explains De Zerbi impact
Anatoliy Trubin repeated several times that De Zerbi transformed his understanding of football.
“He opened my eyes to another way of playing, even for me, as a goalkeeper. He wants everyone to know their role,” he explained.
“We still ask ourselves how we played football before him, because he opened a new path for us to play,” he said.
The Italian has built his reputation around structured possession football, aggressive build-up play and demanding positional responsibilities. Goalkeepers become part of the construction phase rather than simple shot stoppers.
For that reason, hearing such strong praise from a goalkeeper is especially interesting.
Then Trubin also made clear he would welcome another opportunity to work with him, with a pair of lines that inevitably attract attention in North London.
“He could still teach me a lot,” the goalkeeper admitted, before answering if he would like a move to England.
“There is no player in the world who does not want to play in the Premier League, but I have to continue working hard.”
For now, Trubin says he is happy in Lisbon, joking about the benefit of having “ten months of sun”. Still, the overall tone of the interview was extremely positive whenever De Zerbi’s name appeared.
Could Tottenham eventually look at him?
Tottenham are expected to make decisions in goal this summer.
Guglielmo Vicario continues to attract interest and may not stay forever, while Antonin Kinsky still has to prove he can become a long-term No.1 at Premier League level. That naturally makes the Trubin angle interesting.
The Ukrainian already understands De Zerbi’s demands better than most goalkeepers on the market. At 24 years old, he also fits the profile Tottenham usually target – young enough to develop, but already experienced at a high level.
His numbers this season have been strong too. In Liga Portugal, Trubin conceded only 20 goals in 32 matches and kept 13 clean sheets. Benfica allowed a goal every 144 minutes with him in goal, while his goals conceded per 90 minutes stands at 0.63.
His shot-stopping numbers are also impressive. Trubin saved 74 of the 98 shots he faced, giving him a save percentage of 75.51%.
Those statistics help explain why Benfica see him as one of the most valuable goalkeepers in Portugal. Manchester City were linked with him before making a move for Gianluigi Donnaruma. So his stocks are high.
Nothing currently suggests Tottenham are actively moving for him. However, after such glowing comments about De Zerbi, and with uncertainty around Spurs’ goalkeeping situation, Trubin suddenly feels like a profile worth watching if Tottenham remain in the Premier League.