Ahead of Tottenham Hotspur's Premier League Matchday 7 fixture against Coventry City at home, Spurs manager Roberto De Zerbi spoke to the club's official media. He discussed the team's training camp in Marbella, recent match performances, injury updates, and the return of Kulusevski and Maddison.
Roberto, great to see you. First of all, you've just returned from Marbella. How was the training camp in Spain?
We trained very well. The on-pitch work was effective, and the players spent a lot of time together. There wasn't anything special planned—just an opportunity for the players to bond and get to know each other better. Especially since many players were sidelined with injuries before the season started, and others couldn't join us for training due to World Cup commitments. So I believe that having three or four days together is very important for any club.
As you said, it's very important for the players to use this time to build connections off the pitch. We saw the performance, character, and unity the team displayed at Old Trafford. How important is this training camp for sustaining that level of performance and unity?
Yes, I think there's a very close connection between the two. When you have a good relationship with your teammates and trust them, you can help each other differently when you encounter difficulties in a match. If you truly feel integrated into the club, you can give more.
I think, ultimately, it's like a family. When you have problems, it's good to sit down and talk, analyze together, and find solutions.
We do have problems. In terms of performance, we play well—there's nothing to complain about there—but the results aren't ideal. This isn't just a problem this season; it's something that's persisted for a long time. However, we must find solutions. To do that, we need to face our problems like mature adults, communicate with each other, spend time together, and work collaboratively to find answers.
As you mentioned, we've had periods of real dominance in Premier League matches—at Old Trafford and in the first halves against Aston Villa and Everton. What more do you think the team needs to do in those moments?
I think the Manchester match was different because we maintained the same spirit and intensity for the entire 90 minutes. But in the matches against Aston Villa, Everton, Newcastle United, and the League Cup away game at Liverpool, we played very well in certain periods—really very well. In other phases, however, we lost our spirit, composure, focus, and cohesion as a unit.
A team is strong when they can solve problems together and unite in the face of difficulties, responding as one.
Looking ahead to Monday night's match against Coventry City, what's the current squad situation? Which players are available?
Unfortunately, we've lost Bergvall, who will be out for about two weeks. Savio also felt muscle discomfort last Tuesday before we left for Marbella—it's a hamstring issue. We don't yet know how long he'll be out. He's an important player, but I still believe our current squad is good enough.
We're fortunate because I have a very good squad. Even with Savio injured, Bergvall injured, and Rodrigo Bentancur suspended, we still have the ability to win this match.
As for players returning, we saw Kulusevski travel with the team to Old Trafford. Is he ready to return to action now?
Yes, Kulusevski will start on the bench. As for James Maddison, I think he's also ready to play. I'm not sure whether he'll start or come off the bench, but that's very important and good news for us.
Considering these two players have been out for so long, with Maddison not having started in a while and Kulusevski away from the pitch for an extended period, their return must be a very special and exciting moment for both of them, right?
You can explain the team's results over the past two seasons, especially last season, from this perspective. When you lose players like Kulusevski and Maddison, that's a significant problem. We have Kudus, Marmoush, Solanke, and Gallagher—many very good players fully capable of helping the team win. But everyone knows that Kulusevski and Maddison are very special players.
Speaking of Monday night's match, the team hasn't played at home in nearly a month. How much are you looking forward to returning home and playing under the lights on Monday night?
Yes, I'm really looking forward to playing in our stadium again and being with our fans. But what I'm looking forward to most is winning a match.
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