Roberto De Zerbi on Tottenham’s Summer Signings, Andy Robertson, and Changing Spurs’ Identity: Men in Blazers 08/10/26

0:00You're listening to the Men in Blazers Media Network, Suboptimal Radio. We are working very well, I think, in the transfer market. We have not finished yet.

0:14My guest today is a footballing obsessive who returned to the Premier League last April to give Tottenham the kiss of life in their darkest hour. Now, the dawn of a new season, transform the squad, prepare to devour all comers like a great white shark. Welcome back to the undisputed King of Bombas, Roberto De Zerbi. Hello, nice to meet you. Roberto, what is the most profound way Tottenham of today, August 2026, are different to the Tottenham you inherited back in April? It's totally different because I came seven games before the end of the season in a very bad condition, very bad position on the table, very sad moment.

0:57But all together with the club, first of all, the players, the staff and me, we reached a big target for the season, for the last season. Now it's totally different because now we are building a new season, a new part of the history of the club. We are working very well, I think, in the transfer market. We have not finished yet the player who will arrive. And then we start, we're looking forward to start another season with different, I don't know, ambitions, but with different results. We'll see. I mean, you talk a lot about a new identity for the club. Tactics, performance, culture, all changing.

1:41Is identity within a squad something a manager has to discover inside the club? Or can you dictate and demand identity? Yes, because first of all, we have to respect the history of the club and the style of play of Tottenham has been very, very clear in all season now with a lot of big players, with a lot of big coaches. Then we have to respect the level and the ambitions of our owner, our club, our board. And then we have to show to be good enough to stay in this club because it's an honor to stay in this club. It's one of the most important in Premier League in the world. and we talk together we have to help the club to become great again in the high position, to compete for the high position or in all competitions.

2:41In a word, Roberto, how would you describe the identity of Roberto De Zerbi 26-27 Tottenham Hotspur? I would like to create something special in the style of play for sure. But first of all, first of the style of play, I want to build a real soul of the team. I would like when we go to play in Premier League during the game at home, away, the people have to recognize the team inside of the pitch as an organization, as a style of play for sure, but also to recognize one soul, the passion, the value of the player. I love generous players, I love the players who play pride to wear this shirt and pride to stay in Tottenham.

3:40Because the qualities of the players are not enough, if you don't put something more, something of yourself, something you feel inside of you is very tough now competing with the top team in the world in Premier League as well We're speaking at the end of a summer in which you've completed the three most expensive signings you've ever made as a manager Sandro Tonali Mateus Fernandes Van Hecker they've all arrived it's interesting a number of them have said it was conversations with you that sold them on the move and you've called yourself I love this a transfer market shock Roberto can you explain what's the secret to being a transfer market shock?

4:24No I'm not club has been great because they they they closed very very important players I think we have not finished yet okay we spent money but other clubs made the same or more in the past and to compete in Premier League you need first level of the players The ambitions, what I said, the ambition of the owner, of the club, of the board, of the people who decide behind me are very important and very high. And so we have to find the condition to build a strong team, a stronger team than the last seasons to compete again for the top of the table. You've talked about the centrality of leadership, of players who embody winning habits, who want to be there, like the newly arrived, quite ferocious Terrier, Andy Robertson.

5:21He's 32, he's won things, captain of the Scottish national team. What do you want and need from Robbo? What do you need him to do in your squad? How much of it is on the field? How much of it is just in the locker room? I want Andy Robertson. Nothing more and nothing less because he's a complete player inside of the pitch, outside of the pitch as a personality. I want he can play like he played in Liverpool with the same energy, the same personality, the same passion, the same qualities because he's a top for us. I would like the young players can learn from Andy because he can explain the mentality he can explain the behaviour on the dressing room and the behaviour on the pitch the personality on the game and it's a great sign for us Back in April Roberto you said my job now is not to coach a style but to try to give the players what they need in terms of mentality can you put into words now the mentality you discovered at the club back in April and the one that you've built now?

6:34I think I didn't give something special. I tried to put the players in the right condition to show what they are and what they were. Great guys, great people, great players. I think we came over that moment and now there is another situation completely different. Now we have to improve on the pitch, but we can start a new season with different ambitions, for sure. What we have passed last season is a school for us, because we have to remember very well what we spent, the time we spent last season, the emotion we felt last season to be better. You often speak about playing with courage, the bravery it takes to chase greatness, Courage out.

7:26Not be satisfied with safety, with comfort. Serious question. Can you teach courage or does it have to be natural? Every day you can teach courage. You can teach what you think about football and you can teach with the facts, no? How you are every day, the consciously in your behaviour, every day, every day. The decision you make before the game, during the game. Normally, if you take a decision to keep the same situation, nothing changes, you are showing different things you said. In the first half of the season, Roberto, how will you evaluate success at Tottenham from the inside? And how should we from the outside?

8:19Is it by the number of points won? Or are you looking for something else entirely? I usually think to the soul of the team, the passion of the team, the spirit of the team, the mentality of the team. And then the improvement we can do in the future, no? Because I can't stay with the focus just on the present. No, I have to think what is the best solution for the future, what is the best position of the player to change this player for the other player, to improve the squad, to improve the defensive phase, the offensive phase, something about my specific job. But for sure, at the beginning, the most important part is the right spirit, the right mentality, the right spirit, how we work during the week, because the week is the same of the game.

9:12If we were speaking again in May, and Tottenham have had the season that you believe they are going to have, Roberto, What will people be saying about this team, your Tottenham, that they're not saying today? I don't want to lose time thinking of the people, what the people said in May. I don't know, we live for our fans, for our club to be our fans happy. We work to be our fans happy. It's a big challenge because two seasons in a row in the bottom of the table. and we want to change that situation and we can't lose energy thinking are not an important thing. Godspeed to you, Roberto Di Zerbi.

10:01Godspeed to your team. Grazie, Mila.