Roberto De Zerbi has signed a long-term contract with Tottenham Hotspur as he looks to steer the club from the grips of relegation and will lean on the club's current captain to do so
Roberto De Zerbi believes that Cristian Romero could be "the most important player" in his squad, as he wastes no time in building a bond with Tottenham Hotspur.
The Italian signed a long-term contract with the Lilywhites last month as a replacement to Igor Tudor - who lasted just 44 days at the helm at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
The Croatian was unable to pick up the pieces left in the wake of Thomas Frank's sacking in February, as Spurs stare down the barrel of a relegation battle in the latter stages of the season.
At the time of writing, the club are 17th in the Premier League standings, just one point clear of the drop zone with seven games to go.
Fans in north London will hope that De Zerbi will be able to inspire his first-team to avoid Championship football for 2026/27, but has very limited time to do so.
However, the 46-year-old has wasted very little time in outlining the players who will be instrumental to his plans over the next couple of months - starting with club captain, Romero.
Speaking with NBC Sports, De Zerbi said of the centre-half: "I think Cuti is crucial for us, crucial for Tottenham as a club. He is the captain, he is maybe the most important player in our squad, and to achieve our goal, we need the best of Romero."
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Elsewhere, the head coach also hinted that Richarlison will be a major part of Spurs late fightback in the English top flight. He added: "Richarlison can play in different positions.
"He’s a good guy, he’s a clean guy, he’s a honest guy. I like him, as a player, as a mentality, as an attitude. In the same position, we can play with different players, but I think, to achieve our target, we need Richarlison in the best way possible."
A seasoned manager who knows the trials and tribulations of the Premier League, De Zerbi enjoyed a largely successful coaching spell with Brighton between 2022 and 2024 before moving on to Marseille.
He left the Ligue 1 giants via mutual consent in February following an exit from the Champions League, as he now looks for a fresh start in the capital.
His first test will see him travel with the Lilywhites to the Stadium of Light to take on a tough-to-break-down Sunderland AFC.