The Tottenham Hotspur head coach has been speaking about the desire of many to see them get relegated from the Premier League
Roberto De Zerbi has put off transfer talk with Spurs CEO Vinai Venkatesham and sporting director Johan Lange and claims that because he's Italian he understands why everyone wants to see Tottenham relegated.
The 46-year-old has picked up sorry Spurs since taking over, leading them on an unbeaten four-game run while West Ham have lost three on the trot. That means the north London outfit are just a single point from all but securing their Premier League safety. Tottenham travel to Stamford Bridge on Tuesday night looking to pick up some rare points at Chelsea to consign the Hammers to the Championship.
De Zerbi has always maintained that everyone would rather see Spurs go down for the spectacle of it and he believes his nationality has given him as good an insight into why as anybody.
"I am Italian and in Italy, it’s the same. For the biggest teams, it's the same. We have to accept the pressure," he said. "We have to enjoy this pressure. We have to find new motivation from this pressure. I think it's a good thing for us. If everyone wants Tottenham relegated, it's a big motivation for me, and I hope for my players as well."
The Spurs boss wants his team to imagine picking up a rare victory against their rivals at Stamford Bridge, a venue they have only won one league game at in the Premier League era.
"We have to accept that football is nice because of the rivalry. It's good to imagine ourselves celebrating the win in their stadium," he said. "It's the reason football is like this, no? It's a motivation, it's a challenge. If a challenge is tougher, it's better for us to find new motivation and to be focused on staying together from the beginning to the end of the game."
Even though Spurs and Chelsea top the disciplinary tables this season, De Zerbi is not anticipating a repeat of the infamous Battle of the Bridge when Tottenham's Premier League title challenge ended in May 2016 against Chelsea amid four goals, 12 yellow cards and melees aplenty.
"Always calm with blood. With blood, with personality with the right spirit, but calm and focus just on the game," he said. "Because also the chance to score for Leeds [late on], when Kinsky saved. No, we went too strong, too fast, too strong on the ball and sometimes we have to be more calm."
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The same will have to apply to De Zerbi as the Italian is already on two yellow cards, picked up in both his home games against Brighton and Leeds, and another booking against Chelsea would rule him out of the dugout for a potentially crucial final day meeting with Everton.
"I don't play normally! I don't play on the pitch, and I have to be my myself. And normally, this (calm) is my behavior on the bench," said the head coach.
De Zerbi said that if Spurs stay up this season it will be all down to the players efforts in turning things around.
"They worked very well every day during the week. In football there are no secrets. The secret in football is working hard during the week, improving all characteristics to play a good game, style of play, offensive and defensive phases, the right player in the right position, increase the confidence, make individual meetings with the players, but there are no secrets," he explained.
"The players deserve to make the points and stay up because they have suffered a lot and right now they are suffering for the situation but in the end I think they deserve to be happy."
Can Spurs play for the draw at Stamford Bridge that would keep them up?
"No, no. Stop. We can't start the game thinking to draw. We have to start the game, and we prepare the game, and we speak in the meeting, to win the games. Both games," he said. "And then football is… we don’t know. But for sure we try to win."
Chelsea will have a new man at the helm this summer in the shape of Xabi Alonso and the Spaniard has been given the title of manager rather than head coach. De Zerbi, who was appointed head coach at Spurs, was asked what he thought about the difference in job title and perceived extra power in making decisions, including with transfers.
"I don't know. I think every coach wants to be important in the transfer market, to find the connection with the sporting director, with the board of the club, because everyone works for the good of the club, not for ourselves. But it’s not important now," he said.