Legendary former player Sandro believes a destiny has been fulfilled after seeing his old boss Roberto De Zerbi appointed as our new Head Coach.
The 37-year-old ex-midfielder revealed he hoped the Italian would one day take charge in N17 after playing under his tutelage at then-Serie A side Benevento in 2018, serving as his captain during that period.
With us as a player between 2010 and 2014 and now a regular matchday hospitality host at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, the Brazil international also cut his teeth as a coach under Roberto during the latter’s time at the helm of Brighton & Hove Albion.
Speaking after the former Marseille chief signed a long-term contract with us, Sandro says he’s delighted to see one of his mentors take over at the club and believes the 46-year-old has the qualities needed to make a real impact on the squad.
He even revealed how a special invitation from Roberto once meant he was unable to celebrate a Spurs victory!
Here’s what he had to say about the appointment of our new Head Coach...
What are your feelings about Roberto De Zerbi’s arrival here at Spurs?
Sandro: “To be fair, I always thought Roberto would be a manager for us. When I met him and when I played for him in Italy, because I like Tottenham, straight away I thought this would be the manager to put Tottenham at the highest level. I’m so, so happy because this came true and he’s here now. It’s a huge moment for us, an important moment for us and he’s the right one to be there for me, no doubt. I wish him the best of luck, I will support the team as always and with him, it’s a pleasure to watch and see what he does. You guys will love him, he suits us with his style of play, he’s got passion, vision and intelligence. I am becoming a manager now because of him, because of what he did with me in Benevento. In that moment, I said I want to be a manager because I really trust in the work this guy does. He is so passionate and I’m so excited to see him at Spurs – it’s a great feeling!”
What did he do to make such a strong impression on you?
Sandro: “He gave us – the players – everything that we needed for the game. Each game is different and the way he approached each game was amazing. The players need to trust in him, and I will say that they will trust him because they will see the results of his work. In my first game with him, I felt that the game was easier because I knew everything that was coming, because we did it in training. It’s amazing – his strength is to give the players what the game needs. He gives that every day in the training sessions. With De Zerbi, five minutes in a training session matters because he wants every minute to be important. For him, he will use these five minutes with reason – everything matters.”
What can he do for our squad?
Sandro: “We have good players. With Benevento when I met him, we didn’t have top players, we some had ‘okay’ players and he turned them into good players. He can help with the level of our players and they will fall in love with him, no doubt. I know football, I was at Brighton when I did my coaching internship with him and the players liked him. The players that we have will love to work with him. For me, it was a pleasure to learn from him at Brighton. I was there five months, he opened up the door for me and I was glad to have that chance – I watched every training session, every game and, wow, it was amazing. I was his player before, his captain in Benevento and we spoke a lot about football, so to see him in the Premier League, I always liked the feeling and I wanted him to sign with Spurs, because I love Spurs. That moment is now. It’s a huge moment for us and I’m glad, because he’s the right one to suit our style. You will see in the games the passion that he has, everything he does you will understand because he really loves football.”
What’s your first-hand experience of his character?
Sandro: “He’s got energy, he’s got passion. I was his captain and we were talking every day about football. You don’t have to be afraid. He is very intense – I will say that – and the players will need to be prepared because he will demand focus in the training sessions, he will ask everybody to be ready but this is nice, this is what we love as players, to work with someone who pushes us upwards and teaches us, so I’m very excited to see him work at Spurs. At Benevento, he joined just before the winter. He called me to sign – I was one of his first ideas – and although he was very young and it was one of the first jobs that he got, I was 29 years old and he improved me, made me come to every single session with excitement. I told him this and said ‘you are one of the best managers’. He laughed at me, but it was true.”
What was it like to watch him work up close at Brighton?
Sandro: “It’s funny because his first game at home in the Premier League for Brighton was against Tottenham and I was there in the stadium. I sent him a message to say congratulations on coming to the Premier League and he invited me to be at the game. It was his second game – just like it will be this time, Spurs against Brighton. His first game was Liverpool away, a 3-3 draw. But the second game, against Tottenham at home, it was difficult for me because it’s my club. Spurs won 1-0, Harry Kane scored. I was sat in with the Brighton fans when Harry scored – it was a tricky situation because I love Tottenham but I couldn’t celebrate! Inside I was celebrating though!”
Watch Off The Shelf podcast with Sandro