Here's every single word the Tottenham Hotspur head coach said after the defeat to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday night
Roberto De Zerbi gave a passionate press conference after Tottenham's 2-1 loss to Chelsea in the Premier League on Tuesday night.
Spurs should have gone ahead 11 minutes in when Mathys Tel sent a header against the left-hand post from Pedro Porro's curling cross.
Enzo Fernandez opened the scoring seven minutes later with a dipping effort from outside the box that flew straight into the bottom left corner of the Tottenham net.
In the second half as he readied three changes, De Zerbi could only watch in horror as Randal Kolo Muani played an awful pass into his own half to nobody in particular. Chelsea seized on it and broke forward with Fernandez cushioning a pass to Andrey Santos to slide the ball home.
Spurs pulled a goal back on 74 minutes when Porro picked out Pape Matar Sarr in the box and the midfielder's backheel found Richarlison to fire home at the back post.
Tottenham were unable to conjure a dramatic finale, despite a blocked chance for Maddison in front of goal and drama when Micky van de Ven was pulled down in the box, and will now hope to either pick up a point against Everton or hope Leeds do them a favour by preventing the Hammers from winning at the London Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
Our Spurs correspondent Alasdair Gold was among those putting the questions to De Zerbi after the game. Here's the full transcript from the press conference at Stamford Bridge.
What did you make of the performance tonight?
I think we played a good game, we could score at the beginning of the game with Mathys Tel. We conceded a goal, a great goal of Enzo Fernandes, but I think we could do something better, especially in the second ball, long ball, Udogie. And before to concede the second goal, we could score with Richarlison with a big chance.
Anyway, I think we played well. I would like if we play Sunday like the last 20 minutes, because in the last 20 minutes we showed, I think, more energy, more passion, something more inside of us. But it's difficult, it's an opportunity for every one of us, because through this period, these games, these days, we can become better as a coach, as a player. If we stay strong until the end, because when you fight for the relegation, you have to stay inside of the league until the last minute of the last game of the season.
What did you make of the penalty claim when Micky van de Ven was dragged down in the box?
It's not my business now. My focus is to prepare the next game and to make points. Because Sunday is the final for Tottenham, not Bilbao against Man Utd. The most important game is Sunday, because last season they played for the trophy, now we play for something more important than the trophy.
Because the pride, the history of the club, the dignity are more important than the trophy. The trophy you can win, you can lose, nothing changes in your life.
You can have one trophy more, but the most important is to keep the dignity, to keep the pride, to go on holiday like this [head up], and not like this [head down].
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If you play like you did in the last 20 minutes against Everton then you will be okay?
I think for the first 70 minutes we didn’t play badly. We played well. We played a good game. Yes but in the last third of the pitch we made too many mistakes. In the assist, in the last pass, the cross, in the finishing. I think we can show these values also in the last pass.
You mentioned the dignity of the club, do the players understand that?
Very well.
How do you know that?
Because I’m living just for Tottenham. I have lived the last 45 days just for one thing. Tottenham and for my players and I know them very well. Then we can make differences because not everyone is like their team-mate because the character, the level of passion, the level of personality is different because the people are different. But every one of them they are focused on the target. They are working hard during the week and every one of us wants to achieve the goal.
The extra energy and passion in the last 20 minutes, how much was down to Maddison and on Sunday how much do you need him to play?
Yes, but James Maddison can’t play more than 20 or 25. I have a medical staff behind me, I am not a doctor, I am not physical coach and I have to follow what they say no? But I think we can stay up with James and without James.
Can you understand why Tottenham fans will be furious about the penalty incident, especially after the Leeds incident with Maddison?
The fans today have been fantastic, fantastic and we have to say thanks because they were incredible. If we speak about the penalty with Leeds, today we can speak about what you want but we lose focus and we lose energy. My focus is to stay on the pitch, to stay in the best first XI I can decide for Sunday and to transfer what I think about this game, about the football and to prepare in the best way the players. I think we played a final, we played an important game but in our stadium and we have two results out of three, so we have to stay alive but any way, it is a big day for us.