Here’s every single word the Tottenham Hotspur head coach said after the victory against Everton which kept the club in the Premier League
Roberto De Zerbi was in a mischievous but happy mood during his final press conference of the season after keeping Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League with their 1-0 win against Everton.
Spurs scored the crucial goal before the break. Mathys Tel’s deep corner was headed against the right-hand post by Joao Palhinha and the ball fell back for the Portuguese midfielder and he fired it towards goal. It was stopped by an Everton foot but just as it had crossed over the line, although Kevin Danso fired it in anyway afterwards.
The second half was more nervy for the hosts with little in the way of clear cut chances for either side until a last-gasp flying save from Antonin Kinsky to tip away Tyrique George’s curling effort before the final whistle made it clear that the club will compete once again in the Premier League next season.
Our Spurs reporter Alasdair Gold was among those in front of De Zerbi after the game. Here’s the full transcript from the press conference at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
(De Zerbi comes in looking for a reporter)
Where is he? The one who is always there at the Tottenham training ground, he was negative and I’m positive. But I want to hug him. Not to fight. I have no energy to fight anymore.
You always said what a big club this was, but you took over at a very difficult moment. Describe your emotions and your feelings?
No, I’m happy but I enjoyed today. At the beginning of the day until now. Football is nice because if you give your best, maybe today. Maybe tomorrow. after tomorrow, you receive back everything from football. It’s incredible. And we deserve this day. We deserve this game. We deserve this win. We deserve everything of today.
I think we deserve to stay up, because we made 11 points in seven games and we deserved more. My players played a fantastic game, as a spirit, as a behaviour, as an attitude, but also as a quality of the play. Especially in the first half. They played very well and I’m proud. Now from starting…
(Reporter he had asked for walks in and he smiles when he sees him)
Are you happy?
Yes, well done. Congratulations. Well played.
(Back to press conference) And from tonight we have to start to organise and to build a new team. I think we have now to change too many players. We have 10, 11, 12 players good enough to stay. Good enough. Like players. Especially like people. And then we have to complete the squad with the first level of players.
First level of players because we suffered too much. I suffered a lot but I think the fans, the club, the board, the players. They suffered too much. We are Tottenham and we can’t suffer like this until the last second of the last game to stay up.
And I will be stronger. I will be stronger. I don’t want to decide alone because football is a group – sporting director, scouting, CEO – but my target now is finished to stay up. My target is to start the pre-season with the team I have in my dream.
Can I get your reaction to the fans and the atmosphere around the coach and inside the stadium?
Listen, they told me, I don’t know which newspaper spoke about the pressure of the fans, the problem was the fans in Tottenham. I don’t want nothing from the fans. I just want to be clear, to be honest. I’m always honest and sincere. I think in three [home] games they were fantastic, the fans.
The stadium, incredible stadium. Before the game when we arrived with the bus it was a big, big emotion and I’m happy for them.
Next season the target is to make them happier than this season for sure. I would like to compete, I don’t know for what, but stop suffering like this.
Antonin Kinsky, with his whole journey since you’ve been here and another big save, what can you say about him and how much has he put himself forward to be number one?
About Kinsky, I want to say a secret. Before my first game in Sunderland I thought to give, when I was in Italy, I thought to give for the Sunderland game, just for one game to make Kinsky the captain. To show just one thing, very important in football but in life. If we are a team, we are like a family. If one of us is going through a difficult period, we have to stay with him.
Showing love, showing everything he needs, but he didn’t need it because he has a strong character, strong personality. He’s a great goalkeeper.
And I want to say also something for Vicario because with me he was fantastic. As a guy, staying at the side with his passion today on the bench. He accepted my decision with a smile.
Who have been the people that have been crucial over the last six or seven weeks to get you out of this situation?
Dragusin. Dragusin was top because he didn’t play, but he was always positive inside the dressing room. Inside the pitch. Bentancur. Because Bentancur, when he came back from the injury, he wanted to play. He came to me to say, ‘hey, I want to play. I’m ready to play.’
Joao Palhinha, because at the beginning of my time, he didn’t play in Sunderland, here with Brighton and Wolverhampton. Ben Davies. Yesterday, he came to the Lodge with us.
Djed Spence. Before the Chelsea game he came in my office. Another one to say ‘I want to play.’ He said, ‘You always speak about the personality, the courage. I’m here, if you want to play with one player,’ and he was fantastic, I love it.Micky van de Ven. Great guy, sensitive guy. I spent a lot of time with him, because I consider him the best centre-back, left-centre-back in the Premier League, with Levi Colwill, because he was my former player and I can’t forget him. But a lot of other players. Richarlison, Archie Gray, I can’t say one.
Can you promise that this relegation battle will never happen again and where does this rank among your managerial achievements?
Listen, it’s difficult to promise because the Premier League is a very tough league. For sure, we have to learn from our mistakes, we have done this season, for sure. But no, now we are happy because we stay up and we forget the past.
No, no, no, the stupid people forget the past. The smart people, the people with value, can’t forget and keep in their mind the past. And we have to improve from our mistakes.
And we are looking forward to start to rebuild a team from this night, from tomorrow. No, from 10 days, we have no time for the holiday, to go on holiday.
And the second (question), yes, I think he is the biggest achievement in my time. Brighton. Europa league in Brighton was great. The second place in Marseille, with a lot of problems, was a big achievement. But I think today was maybe one of the best days in football so far.
Would you like to keep Joao Palhinha?
Yes, I would like to keep him 100%. We have to start from these people, before to speak about the players, we have to speak about the people.
And we have to start. Then, I can’t give the place for everyone in the first eleven. Because I want to build two players in each position. But for sure, I would like him to stay with me. Like Conor Gallagher and Bentancur, the same.
Do you think the team could be stronger for this experience than before? Do you think the players’ togetherness made the difference?
If we remember this day, for sure. Next season, we have to keep in our mind to give our best every session, every training, every game. And to think every game, every training session is like Tottenham vs Everton. If we remember this thing, I think it will be easier.
