"Even at 9 p.m., they were holding tactical boards..." Roberto De Zerbi's 'madness leadership' captivated the Tottenham squad... Madison: "If the coach hadn't come, we would have been 100% relegated"

*This content was translated by AI.

James Maddison (30) expressed firm trust in Roberto De Zerbi (47), the manager who saved Tottenham from the brink of disaster.

The UK's "The Guardian" reported on the 26th (Korea time) that "if Tottenham had not dismissed former manager Igor Tudor and appointed De Zerbi, they would have faced the terrible calamity of relegation from the English Premier League (EPL)."

Tottenham changed their manager with only seven league matches remaining. They had fallen to just one point from six matches under the interim Tudor regime. De Zerbi, who came in as a savior, quickly restored the squad's lost confidence. Since taking charge, De Zerbi has recorded three wins, two draws, and two losses.

On the 25th, Tottenham secured a 1-0 victory over Everton in the final 38th round of the EPL at home, thanks to a winning goal by Palhinha. Finishing the season with 41 points, Tottenham ended in 17th place, the relegation threshold. West Ham, who had been in a survival battle with Tottenham, finished 18th and were relegated to the Championship (second division) for next season after defeating Leeds United 3-0 in their final match, but they only managed 39 points.

The media reported that "having caught its breath, Tottenham will embark on a major squad overhaul this summer. The club plans to sign Bournemouth center-back Marcos Senesi and Liverpool left-back Andy Robertson as free agents (FA). On the other hand, captain Cristian Romero and first-choice goalkeeper Guillermo Varela are highly likely to leave the team."

Players expressed deep gratitude to Manager De Zerbi. Maddison said, "If the coach hadn't come, the team would have fallen into a dark period," and credited the appointment with averting disaster.

Manager De Zerbi lived at the training ground hotel with the coaching staff to lead the team. He instructed intense high pressing and successfully reorganized the midfield, achieving tactical effectiveness.

Most significantly, the major achievement was the recovery of the players' mental state. Maddison emphasized the coach's extraordinary passion. He stated, "Even at 9 p.m., the coach and six coaches gather to hold meetings over tactical boards," and added, "He is so obsessed with football that they hold meetings four to five times per match."

He then raised his voice, pointing out endless injury issues and a complacent team culture, saying, "Players should not blame others but set higher standards for themselves and take responsibility."

Club executives also acknowledged past failures and promised a bone-deep overhaul. Peter Chilingarian, the non-executive chairman, strongly criticized the Daniel Levy Jeon (Chairman) regime in an open letter. Levy stepped down from management operations last September when the Louis family declared a comprehensive overhaul.

Cha Ring-teon (Chairman) criticized, "In the past, Tottenham did not prioritize footballing success and produced an unacceptable result of finishing 17th for two consecutive years." He then drew a line, stating, "The Louis family has no plans to sell the club," and promised, "We will continue to strengthen the squad to compete at the highest level in Europe alongside Manager De Zerbi."

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*This content was translated by AI.