Roberto De Zerbi has reportedly treated the Tottenham Hotspur squad to a luxury meal in a team bonding attempt for the run-in
Roberto De Zerbi has reportedly treated the Tottenham Hotspur squad to a lavish dinner in a bid to unite the group ahead of their crucial run-in. De Zerbi was appointed by Spurs as their new head coach earlier this month, tasked with steering the club away from the Premier League relegation zone.
The Italian's first match in the dugout ended in a 1-0 loss away at Sunderland on Sunday – a result that leaves Tottenham rooted in 18th place, two points from safety with just six matches remaining.
This Saturday sees Tottenham take on De Zerbi's former side Brighton in the Premier League, and ahead of that clash it appears the new Spurs chief has already moved to lift spirits within the dressing room. The Telegraph has reported that De Zerbi treated the Spurs squad at the Bacchanalia restaurant in Mayfair on Wednesday evening.
The report suggests the outing was designed to strengthen team spirit amongst the Tottenham players, with De Zerbi also urging his squad to communicate more effectively as the high-stakes run-in approaches. The Bacchanalia boasts sculptures crafted by Damien Hirst, alongside a lavish menu featuring a leg of lamb priced at £130.
De Zerbi's team bonding gesture mirrors a tactic employed by his predecessor Igor Tudor, who also took the Tottenham squad out for a meal before his first game in charge back in February. The new Spurs boss has already delivered a passionate rallying call to his players ahead of the final six matches of the season as they battle to preserve their top-flight status.
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“First of all, the players of Tottenham are all good guys, and they are suffering for this moment,” De Zerbi stated after the defeat to Sunderland. “They are not happy when we lose the game or they are not happy to see Tottenham at the bottom of the table, for sure.
“But we have to find the energy, we have to find the right spirit to be positive, to think during the week when they stay with me. For sure, they will see a positive coach because I believe in their qualities.
"Because we are Tottenham, but we have not (got the right) to win the game just because we are Tottenham. You can't win the game with the paper. You have to win the game showing the quality on the pitch, the fighting on the pitch.
“You have to score the goal, and you have not to concede the goal, for sure. But they are human, and they are suffering maybe too much and altogether we have to stay close, to be positive, to work, to improve in the details, in the football, but to be better as a mentality."