Key Takeaways
- Roberto De Zerbi demands a positive mindset from Tottenham Hotspur players during their relegation battle.
- The Italian coach became Spurs’ third manager this season when he replaced Igor Tudor on March 31.
- De Zerbi rejects excuses about injuries and poor facilities, urging his team to ‘die on the pitch’.
Roberto De Zerbi has ordered his Tottenham Hotspur players to stop complaining. The Italian manager insists that only losers cry when facing difficult moments.
De Zerbi became the third coach at Spurs this season on March 31. He replaced Igor Tudor. Since taking charge, he has managed three matches. His team lost 1-0 to Sunderland. They drew 2-2 with Brighton and Hove Albion. Finally, they secured a 1-0 victory against Wolverhampton Wanderers away from home.
Despite these mixed results, Tottenham remain in the relegation zone. They currently sit two points behind West Ham United. However, De Zerbi refuses to accept negative talk from anyone inside the club.
“We must fight until the very end,” he said at a press conference. “We have to die on the pitch. Before we lose any game, we must play with courage and passion. Losers cry and think negative thoughts. I do not want people near me who cry or think differently from me.”
Many football fans believe Tottenham often fail when success is close. Critics call this being “Spursy”. De Zerbi wants to destroy this reputation. Former manager Antonio Conte tried to do the same thing before him.
“Our biggest enemy is inside us,” De Zerbi explained. “The players, the staff and the fans all hear a negative voice. This voice says we are unlucky. It mentions our many injuries. It says we miss Xavi Simons too much. It complains about our medical team and the pitch quality. It claims we cannot win several games because we failed too often in 2026.”
De Zerbi rejects these ideas completely. “This is all rubbish,” he stated firmly. “I want to focus on our quality and our strength. We must think like winners, not losers.”