After the chaos of his previous match, where his team Marseille suffered a 5-0 defeat against Paris Saint-Germain at the Parc des Princes, Roberto De Zerbi found Tottenham’s training ground to be a haven of calm.

The serene environment, with its secure perimeters, perfectly groomed pitches, and elegantly designed surroundings, offered De Zerbi a peaceful setting. He had ten days to settle in, acquaint himself with key staff members, and greet players returning from international duties.

During this time, De Zerbi engaged in numerous discussions. “A lot of meetings,” he noted, having held individual sessions with each player in his office and conducted team gatherings between training sessions. His aim was to swiftly convey his pivotal strategies to the squad. “Just football,” he elaborated. “Meeting the players, organizing, and finding the best way to communicate my ideas—only two or three, not too many, for the pitch on Sunday.”

“Having time was crucial,” De Zerbi stated. “Not too much, but those ten days, over a week, were vital to grasp the challenges we face.”

His lucrative five-year contract, reportedly offering £12 million annually, and his influence over recruitment choices have drawn attention. Yet, the 46-year-old Italian is adamant that his move to north London isn’t about the paycheck. “You can see that in my past,” De Zerbi explained. “I’ve walked away from a lot of money before; it never distracted me from my work.”

Compared to the frenzy of his last game on the touchline, Tottenham’s training ground must have seemed like a sea of tranquility for Roberto De Zerbi

Much has been made of his five-year contract, understood to come with a £12million annual salary, but the 46-year-old Italian insists he is not in north London for the money

While those ten days provided a valuable window, De Zerbi, who admits to being a football fanatic, has been residing at The Lodge, the on-site accommodation, to maximize his working hours. Despite this, he has been deliberate in keeping his directives to the squad concise.

All the players were back last Friday apart from Cristian Romero and Pedro Porro who had been given an extra two days off by interim boss Igor Tudor, a privilege honoured by De Zerbi. With Romero and Porro back on Monday, De Zerbi’s early focus has been on confidence.

He wants his players to display courage on the ball, keep possession and play in an attacking style. He spoke about recapturing the attacking flair Spurs had in their first season under Ange Postecoglou, and believes they still have a squad to play in this style.

His first fight, however, is to stay up. To do this he needs to squeeze everything from the players available. So, his messages both in public and private have been to remind players of their talent.

Some needed building up again after the psychological rigours of this season under a barrage of criticism having failed to win a Premier League game in the first 100 days of 2026. Although De Zerbi claimed to be pleasantly surprised by the spirit inside the camp and detected clear improvements after his first week in charge.

‘They are working very, very well,’ he added. ‘It’s not normal after we didn’t win too many games in 2025 and we haven’t won any game so far in 2026 so you imagine the atmosphere inside the dressing room or the training ground, but it’s not like this. I saw players with energy, with passion when we were in the meetings speaking about football, about the two or three principles. They came with the right focus, so I’m positive for that.’

Tottenham’s senior stars have been in the front line for criticism and De Zerbi made a point of hailing his captain Romero and his central defensive partner Micky van de Ven, both of whom have been heavily linked with summer moves away, as ‘crucial’ to his plans.

He called Xavi Simons ‘a big talent’ and applauded the ‘attitude’ and versatility of Richarlison. He purred about the prospect of reviving Randal Kolo Muani to his pre-Spurs levels and how he had tried to sign Mathys Tel when he was at Marseille.

He wants his players to display courage on the ball, keep possession and play in an attacking style, recapturing the attacking flair Spurs had under Ange Postecoglou

De Zerbi purred about the prospect of reviving Randal Kolo Muani (left) to his pre-Spurs levels

He called Xavi Simons (pictured) ‘a big talent’ and applauded the ‘attitude’ and versatility of Richarlison

While at Brighton, De Zerbi was keen to sign both Conor Gallagher and Mohamed Kudus, although Kudus now faces an extended absence after suffering a setback in training and might not play again this season. Young midfielder Lucas Bergvall is one of the players De Zerbi has spoken to most this week, which perhaps suggests he will play a key role in the weeks ahead.

Training sessions have been slightly longer than they were under Frank or Tudor but always with the ball and limited to one per day. Players are said to have enjoyed the tactically detailed sessions more than they did Tudor’s, with their emphasis on being comfortable in possession and building quickly from the back. There were no double sessions with everyone aware of the cumulative physical strain at this stage of the season.

They were given a day off on Wednesday when De Zerbi had an English lesson to boost his linguistics before he faced the live cameras yesterday and called in at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to meet those working on site.

He made it clear at Brighton that his coaching principles came second to his principles of life, and that treating people with respect and making human connections was vital if he expected them to listen to his tactical advice.

Most coaches would say the same. It is about communicating. Early feedback filtering out of his training sessions from the players has been positive.

De Zerbi is a vocal coach who likes to be on the grass at the heart of training sessions, which is just as well because he will start with a streamlined coaching staff and only two or the seven who worked with him at Brighton and then Marseille. Perhaps there will be scope for this to evolve if relegation is avoided.

The true test of another new era and his attempts to restore confidence however comes on the pitch in the heat of battle. Spurs have gone under when things have gone against them in recent times.

Under Tudor, they collapsed after the red card for Van de Ven at home against Crystal Palace. And against Atletico Madrid in the first leg of a last-16 Champions League tie, when beset by defensive errors, two made by stand-in goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky and one by Van de Ven to go three down inside quarter of an hour.

While at Brighton, De Zerbi was keen to sign both Conor Gallagher and Mohammed Kudus, although Kudus (pictured) now might not play again this season

De Zerbi is a vocal coach who likes to be on the grass at the heart of training sessions, which is just as well because he will start with a streamlined coaching staff

He is renowned for his volatility, and the serious business for him starts in Sunderland. Not in the sea of tranquility near Enfield

The young Czech was substituted after 17 minutes in Madrid’s Metropolitano but Guglielmo Vicario had hernia surgery during the international break and Kinsky looks set for a recall at Sunderland.

‘I have confidence,’ said De Zerbi when asked if he had spoken to Kinsky about Madrid. ‘He has to be strong, but he is strong enough to show what he can do. Not more, not less. His qualities are enough to play at Tottenham. The other players believe in him. He has to stay calm and confident. He is playing at Tottenham, so has to be stronger than the mistakes, and to move on.’

Nobody will face a greater test of their character inside the Stadium of Light. And yet they will all come under scrutiny, including De Zerbi as he promises to take Spurs back to the top.

He is renowned for his volatility, and the serious business for him starts in Sunderland. Not in the sea of tranquility near Enfield.