Tottenham: Roberto De Zerbi insists relegation ‘not the problem’ but he will leave on one condition | OneFootball

Roberto De Zerbi has clarified his future at Tottenham Hotspur and has admitted that he will leave the club on one condition.

De Zerbi recently returned to the Premier League to join Spurs, having been tasked with saving the north London side from relegation.

The former Marseille and Brighton boss was initially against the idea of joining Spurs before the summer, but he made a U-turn after being offered ludicrous terms by the struggling Premier League side.

The Italian manager failed to inspire an immediate upturn in his first game in charge, with Spurs suffering a 1-0 loss to Sunderland. They are now 18th in the Premier League and without a league win this year.

This means Spurs face the increasingly real threat of relegation from the Premier League, but De Zerbi has insisted that another factor will decide his future.

When asked by reporters whether he will remain at Spurs regardless of what league they are in next season, De Zerbi said: “The problem is not the league.

“The problem is to keep the relationship with the board and to have the same ideas in the project.”

De Zerbi was then pressed to clarify that having a strong relationship with the Spurs hierarchy and being aligned on ambitions, rather than league situation, is the key factor regarding his future. To which, he responded: “Yes. Everyone on the same page”.

Ahead of Saturday’s match against Brighton, De Zerbi has sent a clear warning to his players and personally called out several key stars.

“I have to get to know my players better and better every week,” De Zerbi said on Friday.

“We have no time to lose. We have no time to understand the problems we have this season. We have to be focused just on the next game. Transfer confidence.

“I can bring my philosophy of football. But also working to create a good atmosphere, a good relationship with the players. In this moment of football, the qualities of the players are important. But the spirit, the relationship between the players is too.

“We have to feel everyone’s responsibility in this situation. And we can’t cry. We have to push to get out of this situation.

“We need players with personality and character. Otherwise they don’t play with me.”

On players who need to step up, De Zerbi added: “I would like Micky van de Ven to reach this level. [Rodrigo] Bentancur is a leader. Palhinha is another.

“I would like to push with [Dominic] Solanke because he is one of the best strikers in the Premier League. I want him to become stronger as a personality and a character on the pitch.

“Xavi Simons is very young, but is a leader on the ball because he has personality. He has the right character to receive the ball when the ball is hot. But we need characters and personalities.”