”[It’s a] big challenge for me, [a] big honor to be here, I’m very happy. In the same way, I don’t think too much about myself, because I’m focused on work to do. Wherever you go, it’s always about your relationship with the place, with the team, with the town.
”There are a lot of similarities, even if this is like the NBA of European football, this is the best of the best, so it’s a privilege to be here. First priority is to give everything the team needs in these moments. The team needs, I believe, first of all to get some confidence, to get some courage, but also in the same way, the concrete things in the pitch.
”Of course, I’m coming here knowing the situation is not easy, there’s no time to find excuses. What I said from the first day here, each of us, each of the players, need to give something, something more, something extra, because the position of the club at this moment is not that anybody can accept. Every fan of Tottenham cannot accept the situation. We are aware of that, but it’s not enough to just be aware of that.
“I like to be positive, I like to play offensive football. Of course, that’s my first goal I have, that I like to score the goal, but in the same way, for sure, I need to give organization in defense, give the clear structure of what you want to play.
”The situation is not easy, because, as you know better than me, we have a lot of injured players, so we need first to find the best system that suits for the players that are available in this moment. So, a very particular moment, maybe this can sound strange, but I believe that the thing that we need to be focused on is training. So, the training from today, that’s the key, because, as I always like to say, Sunday and the game is a consequence of the training.
”So, that needs to be focused. The coach needs to show the path, where is the way we want to go, how we want to go, and the players need to accept this, and together, in this way, preparing during the week is the best thing for Sunday.
”I know some players, I’ve also coached Dejan [Kulusevski] and Rodrigo [Bentancur]. Unfortunately, they are not now available to play immediately, but they are here in the dressing room, for sure. But I find all players very available to react like this. I believe in style, and style is more important than the system, of course.
”As I said, [this is] a very particular moment, so every club has its particularity. Yeah, can I say this word? That is first as a culture of the club, which kind of football they like, so it’s always important to think about that. But in the same way, [to] not forget who I am, what I want the team to achieve, but thinking ‘This player can do this.’ So, I need to be very intelligent with my staff, to find the best possible way to get out in a very, very short time.
“It was a good first [training] session, we started to know each other. It was one hour, because we had five days free, so first training is not too much, and tomorrow we start to work seriously. Big week, yes, big week, important games. Important game, we know. This derby is a fantastic game to play. We want to play this game in a way that our fans will like.
”So, going and give everything what we have, in the right way, brave, but in the same way intelligent and smart, to achieve what we want, and that’s the victory.
”I believe that football, in 2026, has changed a lot. It’s changing year by year, so more physical players, let’s say, it’s crucial. If you can run 115k as a team, it’s better than 105k. That means that you have one player extra, so there is nothing strange to choose that direction, of course. It’s always about motivated players that understand this thing about running, about the physical aspect of football, which is sometimes not easy.
”But that without quality, you cannot do nothing. So, technical skills, intelligence to see, to recognize the situation, speech is always above everything. So, you need to find a mix [with] both things. And about winning or drawing, that’s true.
“I never saw the coach who said that he can play for draw. It’s not possible. So, offensive football, yes, but smart. That’s the key.”