Here's every word the Tottenham Hotspur head coach said at his press conference ahead of Sunday's crunch Premier League finale against Everton
The subject of Cristian Romero dominated Roberto De Zerbi's final pre-match press conference of the season as Tottenham host Everton with their Premier League status at stake.
Spurs take on David Moyes' Toffees at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as West Ham host Leeds at the London Stadium. The north London club are two points above the Hammers and, with their better goal difference, can draw with or beat Everton to stay up while Nuno Espirito Santo's side must beat Daniel Farke's outfit 12 miles across the capital regardless.
An added subject for De Zerbi is his captain Romero, who has angered the Tottenham fans. The centre-back is back in Argentina, training with his boyhood club Belgrano and is expected to be in attendance at their Primera Division final against River Plate on Sunday rather than returning home for Tottenham's huge match.
De Zerbi also discussed the latest injury news on Dominic Solanke, Guglielmo Vicario and if Dejan Kulusevski will be back to watch Spurs in their final game as well as Djed Spence's broken jaw and England World Cup call-up.
Our Tottenham correspondent Alasdair Gold was among those putting the questions to De Zerbi. Here's the full transcript from the press conference at Hotspur Way.
With injury news, is Solanke able to play and how many minutes can Maddison play?
Solanke is available. We have to decide if he starts in the first 11 or not, and Maddison is available. It is always tough to decide before the game how many minutes he can play. Of course, he is a different player, a top player for us. But we have to analyse the physical condition, the Italian weather and a lot of things. But both are available.
What did you make of James Maddison's words after the game?
In football there are different games and this type of game (is) like a final. For us, for West Ham, it will be two finals, and we have to adapt, we have to change the habits.
I think it's a great thing to have the chance to play as a player. If I think as a player, for me this type of games are good to play, to prepare, to suffer the pressure. The pressure is good, it depends on if you are able to think, to stay strong with you, first of all, to stay positive, and I think you can become…I said after the Chelsea game, this type of game you can become better as a coach, as a player, as a man, because you can become better going through the tough moments. If everything is good in life, you can improve, but not in this way.
What do you make of Romero’s decision to travel to Argentina this week?
He spoke with the medical staff, together they decided to go to Argentina to complete the rehab with the Argentinian medical staff. We spoke last week. With me, he showed always that he wanted to stay with us, the injury is already an injury and we have to accept it.
I am not stupid. I want to be clear. I am not stupid. If I understand there is any player, or some player, who thinks for himself before the club, I can't be the same Roberto. But with Cuti Romero, I can't say nothing, because with me, in my time, he has been correct in the beginning, until now.
Sunday is the biggest day this club has had, and your captain is not going to be there?
I will answer you. The decision was with the medical staff, and I think he can't change nothing if Romero tomorrow is in the stadium or not. And finally, I have no time to lose energy, to lose thinking other things. We have to be focused just on the game, and I think we have the players good enough to achieve our target.
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Some reports this week have said that Djed Spence has a broken jaw, following that challenge from Liam Delap on Tuesday, how is he doing?
He is available, he is available, I think it was another situation, bad for us, because I think it was a red card for Delap, but we have to repeat, I have no time to lose, no energy to lose, thinking about the referees or other things, red card, yellow card, and we move on thinking just on the game.
Under you so far, Djed has only made one Premier League start. He will be part of the England squad for the World Cup, why haven't we seen more of Djed in your team?
He is a great guy, I love Djed as a guy, after the game I spoke with his mum, outside of the stadium, his family, and I said the same, he has a big heart, he is a big player and a big guy, and all of us we are happy that he can go to play in the World Cup.
On Sunday it is a final for Spurs, it is a big game obviously for West Ham as well, do you play for the win from the start or look to protect the draw?
We can't change our style, our mentality, we have to play with order, with the right behaviour with the ball and without the ball, but we can't change ourselves, because if we change ourselves or what we have done in my time, because I can't speak before I came here, normally we have to be focused on the counter attack because we are very good in this part of football.
We have to be focused on their qualities because they have very good players, especially wingers and strikers, but I think also we have the qualities and the players good enough to play a good game and to stay up.
Just going back to your captain, I just wondered if you think it shows commitment from him and if it was his decision to stay in Argentina or to come back and give moral support to his team-mates because he is the leader of this football club?
Sometimes the leader, not all leaders are the same. Ben Davies spoke with me and he asked to stay today to work with us and tomorrow we sleep in The Lodge, the hotel, and he wants to stay with the team, the team-mates, but Romero is preparing for the World Cup, he has an injury and for me nothing has changed. And then we have to think after tomorrow, we have to think everything is for the future, the best future of Tottenham.
How much do your team need to concentrate and ignore noises from the crowd and maybe other cheers from the crowd, how much do you need to ignore what's going on at West Ham or do you want to know what's going on?
No, I want to stay focused on ourselves, on our performance, on what we can do on the pitch because it's in our hands.
This club hasn't been relegated since 1977, it's their biggest game for so long, how nervous are you and is it your biggest game as a manager?
Listen, I've lived the last 50 days just for Tottenham and for my players. I burn, I burn nervous and for me nothing changes if we play a great game or not. I usually live football giving all of myself, I'm looking forward to playing tomorrow's game and for me it's tough to arrive but not the game because if you are good with yourself, if you think you have given everything you can, you have to stay calm and stay positive.
In football you can win, you can lose but I usually think what I can give more for my players, what I have to give in these last two days to help my players to show all their qualities, what I can do to help them to play following their qualities but not for the game because I'm 47-years-old and I'm used to playing this type of games.
You spoke a couple of weeks back about Dejan Kulusevski and you had a message exchange about him maybe coming over to support the team, will he be there on Sunday?
I don't know but I think he can't play so I have to stay focused on the players available to play.
On the players that are available, Vicario has had another week to get sharper, do you see yourself sticking with Antonin Kinsky or is he now in the frame?
You want to know too much.
But he's in your thinking?
You want to know too much.
Last one from me on Romero...
(Turns to press officer) It's a good answer 'you want to know too much' because I can answer every question like this, in good English.
It's just that when you talk about Kulusevski coming back to be at the game, you spoke about Ben Davies making the effort to actually stay with the team at the hotel, can you understand why the fans are so angry about this, that the captain is not going to be there and he could be at another match?
Do you think Cristian Romero has played his last game for Tottenham?
I don't know. I think Cristian is a top player and with me, he was a top guy. And when I say top guy, it's because I'm sure of what I'm saying. For the future? I don't know. Tomorrow is a crucial game for us, for our future, for our fans, for our club. We have to stay together and I don't want to answer about Romero, about Kulusevski, but not [only] Romero, and Kulusevski, [it's] because they can't play, they don't play and they are not here.
And my focus is on Djed Spence, on Kolo Muani, on Richarlison to give hunger. To take their balls because we have to play and to play with blood, with character and with spirit because it's a final. They played a great final last season and they won a trophy. Maybe there was a bonus, no? After tomorrow, there is not a trophy, there is not a bonus, there is something more important than trophy and a bonus, there is the future of the club, there is the history of the club, there is the pride of the players, there is the pride of the family of the players, there is the dignity of every one of us, and for that, I can't lose energy thinking about the next season.
I repeat, I'm not stupid, I have clear everything we have to do in the future, but to arrive in the future, we have to go through another two tough, tough days together because we play not in Everton stadium, we play with our fans. 60,000, no? I think great stadium. I played two games as a Tottenham coach and there were two amazing atmospheres. I'm looking forward to sit on my bench, to sit two seconds (smiles), but to stay in our stadium on Sunday at four o'clock.
Are you amazed the club is in this position after winning a European trophy last year?
No, I think no one could imagine this situation, but we are inside and we have to fight without excuses, without nothing and to play.
Can I ask about your captain on the pitch on Sunday, Micky van de Ven, how important has he been and how much have you built a relationship with him?
Great. I think he is the best centre back in the Premier League. We talk a lot of time because I think he suffered maybe too much for the situation of Tottenham this season. He's a sensitive guy, he's a good guy and in my time, I think he played amazing. And for that, I'd answer he's the best central back, left centre in the Premier League.
In terms of the team selection, you have stuck with a winning team, at right midfield, who are your options?
Right wing can play Kolo Muani, can play Bergvall, can play Souza like Liverpool game, can play Djed Spence, can play Mathys Tel in the right side and Maddison on the left side, or Pape Sarr in the left side and Mathys Tel in the right side. Kolo Muani can play striker, can play winger and we have to find the solution because we are not too many players. When you are not as a number too many, you have to find different solutions for sure.