Football London

A former Spurs star has lifted the lid on what it's like playing under Tottenham's new boss Roberto De Zerbi

Former Spurs star Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg has given a glowing review of new Tottenham boss Roberto De Zerbi.

Hojbjerg left north London permanently last summer after an initial season on loan at Marseille, where he linked up with the Italian coach. The former Brighton boss had taken the reins in the summer of 2024.

He left the French giants in February by mutual consent following a 5-0 drubbing by Paris St-Germain and a Champions League exit at the hands of Club Brugge. Hojbjerg was a mainstay in De Zerbi's midfield throughout the 46-year-old's spell at the helm.

Speaking back in November 2025 to Onze Mondial, the Danish star eulogised over his now former boss, and his words will no doubt stoke the flames of excitement in Spurs fans. “I’ve been lucky enough to have coaches like [Pep] Guardiola, José Mourinho, and Antonio Conte. And I put Roberto De Zerbi in the same category," he said.

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"Over the next 20 years, coach De Zerbi is going to contribute enormously to football. And for me, it’s an honour to work with him. The coach… I don’t know how to explain it. He has a connection with the dressing room, he has an emotional relationship with the dressing room, Mourinho had the same thing.

"Roberto De Zerbi has a feel for the dressing room, he understands the atmosphere, he grasps the behaviours, he knows in advance what’s going to happen the next day… (he pauses). Okay, I’ll stop there, otherwise I’ll end up saying too many wonderful things (smiles). It’s an honour to work with such a coach, in any case.”

Hojbjerg's words echo those of Brighton defender Lewis Dunk. The centre-back also spoke glowingly of De Zerbi, suggesting he has changed the way he looks at the game, no doubt whetting Spurs fans' appetites over what's to come.

"I see football in a completely different way, I picture it in a different way and that is the biggest thing," Dunk said in 2023. "Football is not what I thought it was. Just how we play now. The idea of what I did before, I thought it made sense.

"But when you learn something completely different, you believe in it and this makes sense. You think, 'Why didn't I know this?' And, 'Why didn't I do this before?' The style of play, really. Before, I didn't really know about that. It's all about the finer details."

It was reported that De Zerbi wanted to hold off taking the Spurs job until the summer. However, he was convinced to sign on immediately during negotiations with the club hierarchy.

He has now become one of the Premier League's highest-paid managers thanks to a lucrative five-year deal. Fears that the Italian might leave should Spurs face the drop this season have also been quelled by the new head coach.

"I signed five years of contract because, for me, it is a big challenge and I will be the coach of Tottenham next season, no matter what," De Zerbi said upon his announcement.

"Tottenham, especially in this moment, is maybe the the most important challenge in my career - I'm ready to start this challenge. It's a difficult moment for everyone at Tottenham but I think we have the right qualities to come out of this moment."

The Spurs star was in an emotional state just hours after the club had appointed new manager Roberto De Zerbi

Spurs star Dejan Kulusevski broke down in tears on Tuesday night as he watched Sweden beat Poland 3-2 in their play-off in Stockholm to book their ticket to this summer's World Cup.

The midfielder's display of emotion came on the same day that his club appointed Roberto De Zerbi to the managerial hot seat. Kulusevski's Swedish team-mate, Yasin Ayari, was asked by the press about the 25-year-old "crying in the stands" following the game.

The Tottenham player's reaction was possibly a huge outpouring of emotion after a miserable season so far that's seen him sidelined through injury. Ayari said: "As I have said before, I know how much it means to him. Now we are there, we did it for him, for the Swedish people and for ourselves.

"So I'm happy for him. I think we can win the whole World Cup. We have a good squad and believe in ourselves. We have always believed in ourselves."

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Kulusevski travelled to Valencia to support Sweden in their play-off semi-final against Ukraine last Thursday before cheering his team-mates on in his homeland. The Spurs star has claimed he is determined to force his way back into action in time for the World Cup, despite not kicking a ball this season following patella surgery last May.

Speaking to Viaplay, Kulusevski said: "I haven't played in a year. I know what the chances are. But if there is one person on the planet who can do this, I would bet on myself. And we are not just going there to participate.

"Sweden will aim to be one of the best. As long as I live, I will do everything I can so that Sweden, when we go out and play, will not be afraid of anyone. Brazil, France, whoever they are. That's why I'm on this planet. To give faith and love to my people."

Just three weeks ago, Kulusevski had a minor surgical intervention to clean up his knee. Speaking on his latest operation, he alleviated fears, adding: "I understand that people were worried, but it was actually for the wrong reason.

"It was really positive to undergo this small operation and be able to identify the problem. Now everything should be sorted out. Maybe because of things that won't be known because, at the end of the day, it's only God who decides and no one else."

Kulusevski will also be turning his attention to his new manager at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. De Zerbi, 46, signed a lucrative five-year contract on Tuesday.

He replaces Igor Tudor, who was sacked on Sunday following a calamitous 44-day spell in north London. De Zerbi has seven games to preserve Tottenham's top-flight status.

Speaking after his appointment, the Italian said: "I am delighted to be joining this fantastic football club, which is one of the biggest and most prestigious in the world.

"In all my discussions with the club's leadership, their ambition for the future has been clear – to build a team capable of reaching great achievements, and to do that playing a style of football that excites and inspires our supporters. I am here because I believe in that ambition and have signed a long-term contract to give everything to deliver it."

The new Tottenham head coach will begin his tenure with the Premier League game at Sunderland and must choose what his first starting XI will look like

Roberto De Zerbi has nine days to decide what his first Tottenham starting line-up will look like in next weekend's game against Sunderland.

The Italian was confirmed as the club's new head coach this week after signing a big money five-year deal with the challenge of keeping Spurs in the Premier League while also being in it for the long haul beyond that. De Zerbi admitted that he will manage Tottenham next season regardless of what happens in the seven matches ahead.

So who will get the nod for his opening game in the dugout as the Spurs boss? The 46-year-old will first look to the treatment room and see which injured stars are closest to returning with Mohammed Kudus and Rodrigo Bentancur previously tipped as the next two to get back out on the Hotspur Way pitches by his predecessor Igor Tudor.

While the prospect of getting Kudus back into the team and creating some magic up front for a Spurs team lacking goals will be tempting, De Zerbi might just want to be careful with the Ghana attacker and have him on the bench to ensure he has him for the entire run-in after almost three months out.

One player he will have to get back into the starting line-up is playmaker Xavi Simons, who was marginalised somewhat under Tudor. The Dutchman has created more chances this season at Tottenham than anyone else.

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De Zerbi sometimes goes with a back three but mainly plays with a 4-2-3-1 which would suit Xavi and in defence, the new boss could go for his compatriot Destiny Udogie to bring some balance to the back four.

He will have plenty of midfield options with the experience of Joao Palhinha and winter signing Conor Gallagher and the youthful energy of Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall. Pape Matar had a shoulder injury on international duty with Senegal but hopefully will have enough time to recover.

In the attacking slots, Mathys Tel, Dominic Solanke, Richarlison and Randal Kolo Muani will all want to start while in goal much will depend on Guglielmo Vicario's recovery from his hernia surgery.

Barring any unexpected international break injuries, here's the team we reckon De Zerbi might select for his first game as Spurs head coach:

The former England striker has been speaking about Tottenham's decision to appoint Roberto De Zerbi as their new head coach

Alan Shearer believes Tottenham's appointment of Roberto De Zerbi as their new head coach is a gamble that should keep them in the Premier League.

Spurs have handed the Italian a mega money five-year deal to come in and save them from the drop but also look to the future. The 46-year-old made it clear in his first club interview that he will be in charge of the north London club next season regardless of what happens in the final seven matches of this campaign.

De Zerbi is Tottenham's fourth head coach of the past nine months after a string of decisions gone wrong at the club and former England star and now pundit Shearer believes that put the new man in a very strong position in his negotiations for the job.

"Look, Roberto De Zerbi could have written his own contract, really. I mean, he probably has done. He's probably written his own deal. I wouldn't look into the five-year thing, because you don't know what clauses are in there. If you get sacked, then you might only get 12-months pay, if you're lucky.

"But I guess it's a gamble from his point of view because he doesn't want to manage in the Championship, and there's every chance that he could be. He's backed himself for the last seven games of the season to make a difference. But I would say he knows the league, he's got a certain style of play, whether he can implement that in between now and the end of the season, we'll have to wait and see," Shearer told Betfair.

"We've all been saying that Spurs are too good to go down. Well, let's see if he can get a turn around with the players, because I don't think it matters how good you are in terms of ability, I think mentally is the most important thing. And up to now, they haven't been able to handle that.

"Can he get a little bit of belief into the players in that squad in between now and the end of the season? That's the biggest thing, because confidence-wise, it is the most important thing, and trying to make them believe that, that he can get something out of them.

"Tottenham have got an incredibly tough game next weekend, Sunderland away in their first game for under De Zerbi, so everyone's going to be looking at that."

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Spurs could be in the drop zone by the time they next play at Sunderland on April 12 if West Ham beat Wolves at home two days before. Shearer believes that De Zerbi will "just about" keep Tottenham up and has compared the task he is facing to his own at Newcastle, although that ended in relegation.

"Whoever they were going to appoint, they were going be taking a risk, but they've put their cards on the table and said, you're our man, five-year deal, good or bad, you're with us," said the former striker. "It's definitely a big gamble, but it would have been whoever they appointed because of the precarious position they're in.

"Roberto De Zerbi has a history of doing it his own way. You have to do that as a manager, and he hasn't been at clubs for that long. That's why I wouldn't read too much into the five-year contract. All that matters for Spurs now is just to stay in the Premier League, and then they can go again next season. I think he will just about keep them up.

"When I was manager of Newcastle and in a similar situation to De Zerbi, we were bottom of the league, so it was slightly different. But it's a really tough situation. I was Newcastle's fourth manager of the season and Roberto De Zerbi is now their third.

"You're given the job for a reason. You're not given the job because everything's great at the club, and you have to walk into this situation. You're basically given the job because the club are in s**t."

Here's every single word the new Tottenham Hotspur head coach said in his first interview after signing a five-year deal at the club

Roberto De Zerbi has spoken for the first time as Tottenham head coach and apologised for his Mason Greenwood comments that caused sections of the Spurs fanbase to rally against his appointment.

The Italian signed a five-year deal with the north London club this week to become their fourth head coach in the past nine months, taking over from Igor Tudor, who replaced Thomas Frank, who in turn came in last summer for Ange Postecoglou. De Zerbi's appointment provoked a strong reaction from some in the fanbase because of his comments about controversial former Manchester United striker Greenwood while at Marseille.

Supporter groups Women of the Lane, Proud Lilywhites and Spurs Reach all released statements on the prospect of De Zerbi coming in with a 'No to De Zerbi campaign and the Tottenham Hotspur Supporters' Trust also made their feelings on the 46-year-old clear.

It came from him describing his then Marseille forward Greenwood as a "good guy" that had paid a "heavy price" and added: “It saddens me what happened in his life, because I know a totally different person than the one who was described."

Ex-Manchester United forward Greenwood had been charged in October 2022 with one count of attempted rape, one count of controlling and coercive behaviour and one count of assault occasioning actual bodily harm over allegations relating to a young women after images and videos were posted online. The Crown Prosecution Service dropped the charges in February 2023 owing to a “combination of the withdrawal of key witnesses” and due to “no realistic prospect of conviction”.

Here is the full transcript with every word De Zerbi said in his Spurs interview on Thursday.

How does it feel to be the new head coach?

I'm very happy and very proud to be here. I consider Tottenham one of the most important clubs in the world, so I'm very happy. I have a big responsibility, but it's a big challenge for me, and I'm looking forward to start and to work with the players and to win some games.

I watched a lot of games, especially in the last period. I know very well the players. I love football, so I watch many, many games per week. I know everything. I know it's a tough moment for Tottenham, but I know very well it's a tough moment. It's a difficult moment for everyone at Tottenham. I think we have the right qualities to come out of this moment.

I believe in the players. I think we have to remember who we are and who the players are, because we have very big players and we have to work on their confidence and qualities. They have to show what they are and what they are good at playing.

On the fixtures ahead....

I think we have to be focused just on the Sunderland game. I don't want to speak about the schedule or the Brighton game or the Wolverhampton game. Game by game, we have to prepare the players to win the game and to be focused just on the game.

We have to play with courage. We have to play with the qualities of the players, because if I accept this challenge, it's because I have a big confidence in the players and the style of the history of Tottenham football is a very clear style of play.

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The fans....

The fans in the last seven games, especially in this moment, are crucial. We have to be together. They have to stay close to the players, help the players and the players have to show the right mentality, the right attitude to give back to the fans' satisfaction and what they want to see on the pitch. Because after this part of the season, I think we can become great in the future.

There are fans with concerns about comments you made while coaching at Marseille, is there anything you would like to say to them?

I would like to answer your question in Italian because I want to be clear.

(Translated) I have never wanted to downplay the issue of violence against women or violence against anyone more broadly. In my life, I have always stood up for those who are more vulnerable (people from underserved communities/protected characteristics), more fragile, I’ve consistently fought and taken a stand to be on the side of those who are most at risk.

Those of you who know me well, will know that I am not the kind of person who makes compromises to win more games or to win an extra title. I am sorry if I offended anyone's feeling with this subject matter – I have a daughter and I’m very sensitive to these things, and I always have been. I hope that over time people will get to know me better and will understand that at that moment I didn’t mean to take a stance at that time.

What can you tell us about your footballing philosophy?

I think it is not the right moment to speak about my philosophy for football. I am here now at the end of the season because we have to win the games. In football, the style of play and the tactical disposition are important. There is a mentality and I would like to help the player to reach the best mentality we can show.

I signed five years of contract because for me it is a big challenge and I will be the coach of Tottenham next season, no matter what.

I love keeping the ball, I love possession, I love to create chances to score. But at the same time, I love having 11 defenders when we don't have the ball, because in this time of football, we have to attack with 11 players, with the goalkeeper as well. We have to defend with 11 players when the ball is not for us.

I think in this moment, we have no time to work too much on more principles, but we have to know what we have to do on the pitch. We have to have a good organisation on the pitch, with the ball, without the ball. We have to consider the qualities of the players.

We are lucky, I am lucky because I have big players with big talent and my work is to help the players to show their qualities.

On loving football...

Many times, I've said that football is my life and my life is football., but it is true because football is my work. I respect football because football gave me everything. And for me, it is not real work, it is a passion. If I stay at home, I watch football. If I work, I watch football and nothing changes. Stay at home or to be a coach.

For me, Tottenham, especially in this moment, is maybe the most important challenge in my career. I am ready to start this challenge and I want to work with my characteristics, with my passion, with my vision of football and with my knowledge as well.

The Italian is expected to take to the training pitches of Hotspur Way on Friday and he has a huge job on his hands at the north London club

Roberto De Zerbi will soon find out exactly why he is Tottenham's fourth different head coach in nine months as he gets to work on saving their Premier League status.

The 46-year-old was handed a big five-year deal to add Spurs to his managerial CV and while talk was about the long term, it is the seven games ahead that will decide what that long term looks like. For amid all the headlines surrounding De Zerbi's arrival it must not be forgotten that the north London club are currently 17th in the Premier League table and could be in the drop zone by the time they next play if West Ham beat Wolves at home two days beforehand.

De Zerbi is expected to get to work with the squad on the Hotspur Way pitches on Friday once his work permit has come through and the Italian will have eight days to get his methods across to the Tottenham players before their next game at Sunderland on April 12.

Here are five things that the new head coach must immediately fix or solve:

Confidence

This might be the most important thing of all because Spurs' confidence is on the floor and has been for a long time. They have not won a Premier League game in 2026.

Regardless of how highly or lowly you rate this group of Tottenham players, they are not bottom three standard, especially while playing just once a week and fresh to compete.

It needs someone to get them fighting for a singular purpose and a vision, something Spurs have not had since Ange Postecoglou galvanised them to win the Europa League. Thomas Frank gave them no real identity to believe in while Igor Tudor's interim status never gave him the authority to change things.

De Zerbi, at least in his first year at a club, can capture the imagination of players and he has a very clear idea that he wants everyone to buy into. That can provide the foundations of something for the players to believe in again and he will get their confidence up.

Romero and Van de Ven

It used to be that when you got Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven together on the pitch then Spurs would invariably win or at least look better. This season neither of their star centre-backs has looked themselves. Both have contributed at the attacking end of the pitch but defensively they've been very inconsistent, by their own admission.

"Well, the truth is, I’m not exactly having the best time there, and that’s all. I need to get myself together, focus on the club now, get my head around Tottenham," Romero told Argentinian media on international duty this week. "This is tomorrow, trying to get out of this bad situation we’re in, and as always, give my all in every training session and every match, and let’s try to pull through."

Despite his days further up the pitch as a number 10 himself, De Zerbi has won over plenty of centre-backs as a coach, helping Lewis Dunk to get an England recall. He can speak to Romero in Italian and with both defenders comfortable on the ball, they should enjoy his style far more than what they have been asked to do this season previously.

The new man did use a back three at times at Marseille, and less frequently at Brighton, which could give Kevin Danso some hope, although that shape has not particularly worked for Spurs this season.

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Xavi and the attack

Xavi Simons is the only playmaker and creative player that Tottenham have fit, yet he found himself marginalised under both Frank and especially Tudor.

That De Zerbi mostly utilises a 4-2-3-1 should get the Dutchman into the team more often than not and nobody has created more chances for Spurs this season than Xavi.

If they are to stay in the Premier League then the north London side must score goals and giving Xavi an important role at the tip of the midfield rather than wasted out wide or on the bench could be key to getting the ball in the net.

Mohammed Kudus being on the way back is huge for De Zerbi as well. The Italian almost had the Ghana international at Brighton only for West Ham to swoop in and now he gets his chance to manage the tricky, powerful attacker.

Just when Spurs need them they could have a number of attacking outlets available with Mathys Tel, Dominic Solanke, Richarlison, Randal Kolo Muani and hopefully before the end of the campaign, Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison.

Decide how to use Gallagher and the youngsters

Conor Gallagher's move to Spurs has been a nightmare so far, with the 26-year-old yet to win a Premier League game since returning to England.

The 26-year-old has struggled to find the pace of game, contribute at either end of the pitch and has looked limited technically. He has not been helped by being shoved out on the right wing mostly and De Zerbi must decide what is to be done with the club's £35million winter signing.

Rodrigo Bentancur is on the way back from injury and there is the experienced Joao Palhinha, but De Zerbi should be wary of displacing Archie Gray as the 20-year-old has been Tottenham's best player in many of their recent games and starred again for England U21s, complete with a fine goal, in midweek.

The former Leeds midfielder is a fighter and has the technical and tactical ability to take on the Italian's heavy demands. There is also Lucas Bergvall and Pape Matar Sarr in a busy position in the squad and Yves Bissouma to come back at some point from his muscle injury.

De Zerbi must quickly find the best blend for his Tottenham midfield and the coming week of training will tell him plenty about who can handle what he's asking of them.

The Kinsky question

It remains to be seen whether Guglielmo Vicario's hernia surgery was so perfectly timed that he can return for the trip to Sunderland but either way De Zerbi faces an Antonin Kinsky question.

The young Czech goalkeeper had an awful night in Madrid as he was taken off 17 minutes in by Tudor after one slip and one gaffe as Atletico raced into a 3-0 league in that big Champions League game.

De Zerbi may have to call upon Kinsky though at Sunderland, which would require him and his staff to build up the 23-year-old again mentally for another big clash.

There is also the logic that perhaps the Czech stopper will actually be better suited to the Italian's style of possession football than De Zerbi's compatriot Vicario because it requires the goalkeeper to be good with the ball at their feet and able to seek out quick passes before the press closes in.

The goalkeeper question is going to be a big one for De Zerbi and it could be that he takes to Vicario's character for these remaining seven matches. It will also be the first time we will have seen the number one playing freely without pain for months which should make a difference.

The decision will be down to the new man in the dugout as he seeks to fix a broken Tottenham.

The newest Tottenham Hotspur head coach has been formalising his coaching staff and there have been a band of men who have followed him before

Roberto De Zerbi will take charge of his first Tottenham game as head coach next weekend at Sunderland and that gives him a full week to prepare with his new-look coaching staff.

The 46-year-old has signed a five-year deal with the north London club as he looks to keep them in the Premier League and then turn Spurs' fortunes around for the long-term after two seasons spent at the bottom of the table, albeit with that Europa League trophy just over a year ago.

Part of the negotiations for bringing De Zerbi through the door will have centred on his coaching staff with the Italian often bringing a big backroom staff with him to clubs. There were reports in Italy that former Italy star Alessandro Nesta could park his head coaching career on one side to become part of his staff at Spurs, but there are now suggestions that the ex-centre-back may not be making his way to N17.

Ex-Tottenham midfielder Sandro, who was captain at Benevento under De Zerbi and completed a coaching internship at Brighton, has also been linked with getting a small role because of that association with the Italian. The Brazilian teased Spurs fans with Instagram posts of him flying back to London on Wednesday.

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Bruno Saltor, Andreas Georgson, Cameron Campbell and goalkeeping coach Fabian Otte, along with youth pathway coaches Stuart Lewis and Dean Brill, were not mentioned as leaving the club when Igor Tudor departed so the new man may utilise some if not all of them.

In the main though, De Zerbi has used a core of seven coaches he has looked to in recent years and all eyes will be on whether all of them follow him through the door at Hotspur Way.

Here are the seven men who often form his staff:

Andrea Maldera

There have been some claims from the Ukraine, where Maldera worked for the national team for half a decade including as one of Andriy Shevchenko's analysts, that the 54-year-old might not be joining De Zerbi on this occasion after spells as his assistant at Marseille and Brighton.

That would be a shame as 54-year-old Maldera has plenty of experience in the game, including working under various coaches at AC Milan.

"This is my second season working with Roberto, but we have known each other for a lot of seasons, we are friends,” Maldera said when filling in for the Italian at a press conference at Brighton in 2024.

"My father was his coach when Roberto was in the academy of AC Milan and I worked for a lot of seasons at AC Milan and after that I worked with the national team of Ukraine. We spent a lot of time on the phone talking tactics because for me he’s one of the best coaches in this moment.

"When he was a coach at Foggia or Sassuolo, I was working at AC Milan and we spoke a lot about football and I studied his idea a lot. When he went to Shakhtar Donetsk we spoke about the Ukrainian players and we always had a big discussion about football. Two years ago he changed some people on his technical staff, he called me and I was very happy.

"For me it’s a dream. I am 53 but I am young for a second time with him and working in the Premier League. My life is two parts, the first is with AC Milan when we won the [Italian] league 2010/11 and played in the Champions League. But now with Roberto he has a big energy, a big passion, he involves you a lot. I become younger with him."

Enrico Venturelli

Venturelli has worked with De Zerbi at his three previous clubs, Marseille, Brighton and Shakhtar Donetsk, as one of his assistant first team coaches.

The 45-year-old, who speaks Italian, English, Russian and Spanish, has a broad experience base beyond football coaching as he was previously involved with FIFA and UEFA and was a project manager at three different Olympic Games.

Ricard Segarra

Another experienced head on De Zerbi's staff, the 56-year-old Spaniard was the Italian's head goalkeeping coach at both Marseille and Brighton.

Segarra was previously at Galatasaray and before that worked for almost two decades with Barcelona as the Catalan club's head of goalkeeping department, training the academy goalkeepers and then their B team stoppers. He has a master’s degree in Conditioning for Team Sports and also undertakes goalkeeping lectures around Europe.

Marcattilio Marcattilii

The wonderfully-named Marcattilio Marcattilii has been a constant at De Zerbi's side throughout his coaching career all the way back to his time at Foggia.

The 52-year-old fitness coach then followed him to Palermo, Benevento, Sassuolo, Shakhtar, Brighton and Marseille so the odds on him walking through the doors at Tottenham would seem high unless he has something else going on right now in his life.

While at Shakhtar, Marcattilii spoke about his relationship with De Zerbi and the other two fitness coaches.

"It happened seven years ago, when De Zerbi worked at Foggia. I started working during Roberto’s second season in the team, at the same time we teamed up with Vincenzo Teresa. After Foggia, we continued working together at Palermo and Benevento, later moving to Sassuolo where Agostino Tibaudi joined us," he said.

"I'm a fitness coach. With Vincenzo and Agostino, we are like one team. Mister demands that the players have an optimum physical form, so we coordinate our work with him."

He added: "You may have noticed that we do lots of ball work. That’s important, but we also have a goal - to increase the workload to improve the players’ fitness. Each of them has their own position, and based on that we can plan the work. We know all the players, their parameters, and therefore we can organise individual sessions for everyone to raise their level."

Vincenzo Teresa

As Marcattilii mentioned above, Teresa is another part of De Zerbi's trio of fitness coaches.

The experienced head of the group at 63, he has worked with De Zerbi since his Palermo days and then at every club since, so again the odds look good for him joining Tottenham .

Agostino Tibaudi

The final part of De Zerbi's fitness trilogy is 60-year-old Tibaudi who joined De Zerbi's staff at Sassuolo in 2018 and has been an ever-present since.

He previously worked at AC Milan, Sampdoria and Cagliari and spent a season at Chelsea at the beginning of the 2000s. He has a Master’s Degree in Science and Technology of Physical Activity in case you care to know.

Marcello Quinto

Quinto is a more recent addition to De Zerbi's staff, having worked with him at Brighton and Marseille as a technical coach. That's because the 40-year-old only retired in 2020 and coached within Fiorentina's academy after hanging up his boots.

The link comes because Quinto played under the new Spurs boss while at Foggia as a defensive midfielder.

Others who have worked with him

There have been others who have been on De Zerbi's staff in recent years but whether they join him or not will depend on their availability.

Davide Possanzini was his compatriot's assistant head coach as Shakhtar, Sassuolo and Palermo as well as one of his technical coaches at Foggia. However, he went off to begin his own managerial career and was in charge of Serie B side Mantova for a couple of years before leaving in December last year. He is currently without a club and is represented by CAA Base, the agency that is very strongly connected within Spurs.

At Marseille, Mario Rotondale was part of De Zerbi's conditioning staff. Michele Cavalli, born in Brescia like De Zerbi, was a technical coach with the new Spurs boss at Sassuolo and a methodology coach at Shakhtar. Giorgio Bianchi was also a goalkeeping coach for De Zerbi at both of those clubs.

Salvatore Monaco worked with him as a skills coach and head of scouting at Sassuolo before the former AC Milan scout took on similar roles at Shakhtar before joining him at Brighton in a scouting role. The 53-year-old has since returned to Shakhtar as their chief scout.

Paolo Bianco was a technical coach for De Zerbi at both Shakhtar and Sassuolo before joining Juventus and now is the manager at Serie B side Monza.

Andrew Crofts and Jack Stern both worked on De Zerbi's staff but remained at Brighton after his departure as the former still does to this day.

Chelsea tops Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and all Premier League rivals when it comes to generating income from cashing in on academy players over the last decade

Chelsea have earned more income from selling players who came through their academy than Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur combined over the last five years.

The Blues have the most profitable academy in the world over this period, generating £320million. Ajax and Benfica are the only two clubs that have made more than their £386m over the last decade.

Manchester City are their closest Premier League rivals at £356m, £278m of which was over the last five years. Aston Villa (£265m) and Manchester United (£237m) also surpass Arsenal (£236m) and Spurs (£234m) on this front.

These figures come courtesy of the International Centre for Sports Studies (CIES) Football Observatory and crucially include add-ons. The club a player counts towards is the first one where they spent at least three seasons between the ages of 15 and 21.

Chelsea have 33 players contributing towards their total since 1 July 2016, two fewer than Manchester City and three more than Arsenal and United. Tottenham are down at 19, three behind Liverpool and sixth overall in England.

Ajax are most prolific across the continent with 43, three more than Real Madrid and Sporting. The latter's Lisbon rivals Benfica are two behind, level with Atalanta. Sao Paulo are sixth with 37, one more than Dinamo Zagreb and Flamengo. City and Chelsea, who are level with Inter and Roma, round out the top ten.

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Mason Mount's £60m exit accounts for 16% of the Blues' total. They are also responsible for City and United's highest-income sales during this period after signing both Alejandro Garnacho (17% of United's total) and Cole Palmer (12% of City's total) for £40m each.

Alex Iwobi remains Arsenal's top academy sale, with his 2019 exit to Everton accounting for 16% of the total. At Tottenham, Harry Kane's move to Bayern Munich accounts for 45% of their tally.

Chelsea have helped plenty of other clubs rise in these rankings by signing their academy players. Sporting edge out City into the top five by selling Geovany Quenda, who accounts for 12% of their £364m total, to the Blues.

Alvaro Morata is another, with his transfer to Chelsea contributing 20% of Real Madrid's £345m. The signing of Kepa Arrizabalaga also accounts for 50% of Athletic Club's £141m total.

Ben Chilwell's move to Stamford Bridge also makes up a third of Leicester City's £148m. Chelsea's deal for Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall is also presumably contributing a large chunk, too.

A former Blues forward, Joao Felix, also contributed 20% of the £514m that makes Benfica the world's most profitable academy. Atletico Madrid, however, paid that price for the Portugal international, before his initial loan move to west London and eventual permanent signing.

Tottenham star Cristian Romero has made his stance clear on Spurs as they fight to avoid Premier League relegation

Cristian Romero has delivered a new Tottenham relegation verdict while on international duty with Argentina. Spurs find themselves in a perilous position towards the bottom of the table, but their club captain is determined to turn things around even though he is not currently happy with the situation.

In quotes picked up by Diario Ole, after Argentina's 5-0 win over Zambia, Romero said: “Well, the truth is, I’m not exactly having the best time there, and that’s all. I need to get myself together, focus on the club now, get my head around Tottenham.

“This is tomorrow, trying to get out of this bad situation we’re in, and as always, give my all in every training session and every match, and let’s try to pull through.”

The 27-year-old is set to return to north London before the weekend, and he will be greeted by a different manager with Roberto De Zerbi appointed head coach on Tuesday. He has signed a five-year contract at the club but his first seven games will largely define his tenure as he fights to keep Spurs in the Premier League.

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Upon being announced as the club's new manager, he said: “I am delighted to be joining this fantastic football club, which is one of the biggest and most prestigious in the world.

“In all my discussions with the club’s leadership, their ambition for the future has been clear – to build a team capable of reaching great achievements, and to do that playing a style of football that excites and inspires our supporters.

"I am here because I believe in that ambition and have signed a long-term contract to give everything to deliver it. Our short-term priority is to climb the Premier League table, which will be the complete focus until the final whistle of the last game of the season.

"I’m looking forward to getting out on the training pitch and working with these players to achieve that.”

Having been knocked out of the FA Cup and Champions League, Spurs do not return to domestic action until Sunday, April 12 against Sunderland. That gives De Zerbi a full week on the training pitches at Hotspur Way to prepare his players.

The likes of Mohammed Kudus, Rodrigo Bentancur and Ben Davies could all return from extended injury lay-offs for that trip to the Stadium of Light.

James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski are two others pushing to even feature this season, having both suffered serious knee injuries over the summer. The former underwent a minor procedure last month and is adamant to play for Sweden at this summer's World Cup.

An incident involving a former Tottenham interim manager three years ago reportedly almost cost Roberto De Zerbi his job in north London

Tottenham confirmed the appointment of Roberto De Zerbi on Tuesday, but an incident from several years ago had once threatened to derail his chances. Back in April 2023, the Italian coach became embroiled in a touchline row with Cristian Stellini, who was Spurs' interim manager at the time.

The confrontation flared up before kick‑off, and a further clash early in the second half saw both managers sent off. According to the Daily Mail, De Zerbi was not considered for the job following Thomas Frank's dismissal, with club figures citing 'multiple reasons' for their reluctance.

One factor was reportedly his reputation as an 'incendiary character,' something Tottenham executives felt they had witnessed first‑hand during Brighton's visit three years ago. De Zerbi's finger‑jabbing and sharp exchanges with Stellini during the pre‑match handshake set the tone for a fiery afternoon.

It's believed De Zerbi took offence to Stellini's suggestion that he was merely continuing the good work of his predecessor, Graham Potter.

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"They came from a good [manager] with Graham Potter for a long time," Stellini said at the time. "I think Roberto De Zerbi has found a good solution to play with this style because with Potter the players know themselves very well. This is a great opportunity because when players play for a long time with each other it is easier."

In response, De Zerbi said: "Yes [I felt disrespected]. It's a personal situation. I told him what was my opinion, my idea, not bad words, only my opinion. I'm used to always respecting everyone inside and outside of the pitch. I don't like it when people don't respect me.

"But there are normal situations in football. It's personal things. I always respect everyone, especially the coaches. I can answer for me, not for him."

The former Brighton boss later told Sky Sports: "Sometimes when we speak Italian people seem aggressive. We were not aggressive. I don't want to speak about other managers. This is only the second game I'm a head coach. I want to respect every manager. What happened on the pitch, stays on the pitch."

On Tuesday, Spurs announced De Zerbi on a five‑year contract. Their official statement read: "We are pleased to announce the appointment of Roberto De Zerbi as our new Men’s Head Coach on a long-term contract, subject to work permit.

De Zerbi added: "I am delighted to be joining this fantastic football club, which is one of the biggest and most prestigious in the world. "In all my discussions with the club's leadership, their ambition for the future has been clear to build a team capable of reaching great achievements, and to do that playing a style of football that excites and inspires our supporters.

"I am here because I believe in that ambition and have signed a long-term contract to give everything to deliver it. Our short-term priority is to climb the Premier League table, which will be the complete focus until the final whistle of the last game of the season.

"I’m looking forward to getting out on the training pitch and working with these players to achieve that."

The 46-year-old had been out of work after leaving Marseille in February, has signed a lucrative five-year contract in north London.

He has replaced Igor Tudor, who was sacked on Sunday following a disastrous 44-day reign in north London, and has been first tasked with keeping the club in the Premier League.