Roberto De Zerbi took a different approach in his effort to turn things around at Tottenham. With the “Spurs” winless in their first six Premier League matches, despite spending over 380 million pounds this summer, the Italian coach decided to use the training camp in Spain to bring the players closer together.
“We put away our cell phones during breakfast, lunch, and dinner so we could spend more time together,” De Zerbi revealed, explaining that the goal was to foster more communication and meaningful time between the players and the coaching staff. At the same time, two or three important meetings were held, during which the team’s performance and the responsibility each player must take on were discussed.
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ
De Zerbi made it clear, however, that this was not a strict or “military-style” training camp. The players had freedom during their free time, and there were separate dinners for the players and the coaching staff. As he pointed out, he has implemented a similar approach twice at Marseille and believes that such days can help a team that has many new faces and was unable to train fully together during preseason.
On the competitive front, the Italian coach also mentioned the returning players. Dejan Kulusevski participated in the training camp and is nearing a full return, while James Madison is now available and may even start against Coventry. In contrast, Xavi Simmons remains sidelined, with De Cherby noting that he is closely monitoring his recovery.
*photo source: AP
