“We have to fight” – De Zerbi rallies ‘crying’ Spurs players

Roberto De Zerbi has issued a defiant message to Tottenham Hotspur, urging players and staff to block out negativity as the club battles to avoid relegation from the Premier League.

Spurs remain in the drop zone despite ending their winless run last weekend, sitting two points behind West Ham United with four games left in the season.

De Zerbi targets mentality shift

Ahead of a crucial clash with Aston Villa, De Zerbi delivered a passionate assessment of the team’s current mindset, identifying internal doubt as the biggest threat to survival.

“The most important challenge now is to silence the voice inside of us, inside of the players, inside the staff and the fans,” he said.

The Italian manager dismissed what he described as a culture of excuses, including injuries and poor conditions, insisting such thinking is damaging.

“This voice produces negative thoughts… I think it’s all negative things and it’s rubbish.”

De Zerbi also referenced the absence of Xavi Simons, but made clear that external factors should not define their campaign.

Relegation fight enters decisive phase

Tottenham face a demanding run-in, with fixtures against Aston Villa, Leeds United, Chelsea and Everton still to come.

Despite the pressure, De Zerbi rejected any suggestion that relegation is inevitable.

“It’s like we’re all crying and relegated. No, not yet. We have to die on the pitch.”

He emphasised that the gap to safety remains narrow and called for a collective response in the final stretch of the season.

“We have to play, we have to fight, we have two points less than West Ham.”

Clear message to squad and fans

The Spurs boss concluded with a message on mentality, drawing a parallel between resilience and defeatism.

“It’s not the best moment for us… but the losers cry, they think negative and I don’t want people close to me crying or to think a different way than me,” he said.