Roberto De Zerbi has backed Tottenham to handle the pressure of their season-defining clash against Everton while reaffirming his commitment to remain at the club next season regardless of the outcome.
Spurs head into the final day of the Premier League campaign sitting 17th in the table, two points clear of West Ham, who host Leeds United and must win to stand any chance of survival.
After arriving in March during one of the darkest periods in Tottenham’s season, De Zerbi has managed to steady the club despite a difficult run of injuries and inconsistent form.
The north London side briefly slipped into the relegation zone after his arrival, but a return of eight points from six matches has left their fate in their own hands.
Speaking ahead of Sunday’s showdown, the Italian manager insisted he remains fully committed to the project in north London.
“Yes, I confirm everything. For me, it’s still an honour to be a coach for Tottenham, even if on Sunday we play for the relegation fight. It’s not a problem. I consider football something more than the table, than the level of the game,” De Zerbi reflected.
“Every one of us, we are fighting for the future of Tottenham.
“I didn’t come here in mid-table. The situation was this, more games but not too different a situation. If I came, it was because I thought there are the right conditions, the right qualities and players to achieve the target.
“Then the situation changed because we lost [Cristian] Romero, Xavi Simons, [Dominic] Solanke but I think in my time we made eight points and maybe we deserved more points.
“We are still fighting to achieve the target and we have to be ready and be strong.”
The Tottenham boss also called on his players to embrace the tension and intensity surrounding the final day rather than fear it.
“To manage the pressure you have to be clear and honest with yourself. The level of difficulty of the game is high, OK. We are fighting for something very important for everyone, but it is football.
“We have enough quality, we play in our stadium. If for us it will be a tough game, it will be a tough game for West Ham too.
“West Ham play Leeds and I’m sure Leeds will play like they did in the Tottenham stadium.
“To attack the pressure you have to find the valour [bravery] inside of yourself to understand the situation and to force yourself to give your best, because the pressure is nice if you know how to manage the pressure.”
A tense atmosphere is expected in north London on Sunday as Tottenham attempt to avoid what would be one of the most shocking relegations in the club’s modern history.
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