Roberto de Zerbi says everyone at Tottenham needs to be on the same page if they are to remain at the club next season, regardless of relegation.
The Italian pledged in his first club interview after signing a five-year contract that he would be the manager of Tottenham next season no matter what, despite uncertainty over his commitment if Spurs were relegated.
After losing 1-0 to Sunderland in De Zerbi’s first game, Spurs sit in the bottom three, two points safe with six games in hand, and are the only team yet to win in the Premier League in 2026.
In an exclusive interview with Sky Sports, De Zerbi reassured Spurs fans that falling out of the Championship will not decide his future.
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Free to watch: Highlights of Tottenham’s game against Sunderland
Asked if he would remain at Spurs next season no matter what happens, De Zerbi said: “The problem is not the league. The problem is maintaining the relationship with the board and being on the same page with the project.”
Asked to clarify that it was important for him to be on the same page and not the Spurs division, De Zerbi added: “Yes, everyone is on the same page.”
Analysis: De Zerbi is all in, but needs Spurs to match
Sky Sports News reporter Michael Bridge:
Sitting down with Roberto De Zerbi, it’s clear how ambitious he is and his belief that Spurs will be back in the Premier League’s top six next season if they avoid relegation.
But of course, with six games left, that’s a huge “what if”. Spurs are the only team in the Premier League yet to win a game in 2026. Would a coach of his stature manage in the Championship?
I asked him if he could guarantee he would be at Spurs next season even if they were relegated. For De Zerbi, the alignment of everyone at Spurs and the relationship with the board rather than the division in which the team plays is most important to him.
That is the principle that De Zerbi follows for every club he coaches. You could see it in Marseille and Brighton as well. He can only do a job if he gives 100 per cent to his club, and this was his way of saying he needs to take that back from Spurs.
The summer transfer window will be a key test of that, with a major rebuild required no matter what happens in the final week of the season. De Zerbi will want to feel supported, even when spending large sums of money on players to promote promotion or qualify for Europe.
De Zerbi believes that if Spurs continue to win, they will be fighting for a top-six spot among the Premier League’s elite next season. He has no doubts about this club’s potential, but he’s back to that big ‘if’ again. Will he be able to keep them?
“If you don’t have personality, you won’t play.”
De Zerbi will play Spurs’ first home game against former club Brighton on Saturday, live on Sky Sports.
A win against the Seagulls would take Spurs out of the relegation zone, at least temporarily, before West Ham face Crystal Palace on Monday on Sky Sports.
In an effort to unite the group, de Zerbi took the team out to dinner and admitted that he needed to focus more on getting to know the players rather than trying to understand why things had gone so wrong.
“We have to get to know the players better every week,” he said in Friday’s pregame press conference.
De Zerbi wants more character from Spurs’ squad in relegation battle
“We don’t have time to lose. We don’t have time to understand the problems we have this season. We just have to focus on the next game. Be confident.”
“I can bring my football philosophy, but I also try to create a good atmosphere, a good relationship with the players. At this moment in football, the quality of the players is important. But the spirit and the relationships between the players are also important.”
“We all have to feel responsible in this situation, and we can’t cry. We have to try to get out of this situation.”
“We need players with character and character. Otherwise they won’t play with me.”
De Zerbi is looking for a leader who reveals himself.
With captain Romero leaving the team at the end of the season, the already young and vulnerable Spurs team is left with one less person to command them on the pitch.
De Zerbi acknowledged there are bigger issues to address than deciding who will wear the armband for the remaining six games, but believes several players in the squad can step up and be leaders in different ways.
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“There are different types of leaders,” he added.
“A leader who speaks in the dressing room. A leader with the ball. A leader when times are tough. A leader because he helps his teammates. We need a lot of people like that in order to become a stronger team.”
“I want Micky van de Ven to reach this level.[Rodrigo]Bentancur is a leader. Parinha is another one.
“I want to push with (Dominque) Solanke because he is one of the best strikers in the Premier League. I want him to get stronger as a personality and as a character on the pitch. Xavi Simmons is a leader on the ball because he is very young but he has character. He has the right character to receive the ball when it is hot. But we need character and character.”
De Zerbi seeks leadership from team full of young players
Calum Bishop analysis:
It’s often said that when a team is full of young talent, you need an experienced head to get you through the trying moments. But where is that experience for Tottenham?
With Romero out until the end of the season, De Zerbi now has one less leader to rely on when getting his team onto the pitch. James Madison can’t be helped. Dejan Kulusevski’s return date is unknown. Not even Ben Davies can calm down in this pressure cooker.
Even if they help us on the pitch, it may not be enough. Even including injured players, Spurs are the third youngest team in the Premier League this season.
That means players who don’t feel a responsibility to fight for survival are being asked to step up and provide leadership to pull the team out of the worst-case scenario.
It would be natural for someone like Solanke to be singled out. He has been at Bournemouth before. However, looking at De Zerbi’s comments, it sounds like the striker is not that type of person. The fact that he is referring to Xavi Simmons, a player who is technically good but has struggled to adapt to English football, is concerning.
What is certain is that someone is going to have to be tough over the next six games. Or let the Seagulls spread their wings on Saturday and try to prove that De Zerbi is the guy they can count on during their run-in.
Watch Tottenham v Brighton live on Saturday Night Football from 5pm on Sky Sports Main Event.
