Tottenham: Roberto De Zerbi says relationship with Spurs board will decide future - not Premier League relegation

Roberto De Zerbi says everyone at Tottenham must be on the same page if he is to stay next season - irrespective of relegation.

The Italian promised he would be "the coach of Tottenham next season no matter what" in his first club interview after signing a five-year contract with uncertainty around his commitment if Spurs were relegated.

After De Zerbi suffered defeat in his first game, a 1-0 loss at Sunderland, Spurs sit in the bottom three, two points from safety with six games to go, and are the Premier League's only side yet to win in 2026.

De Zerbi reassured Spurs fans in an exclusive with Sky Sports that going down to the Championship will not decide his future.

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Asked if he will be at Spurs next season whatever happens, De Zerbi said: "The problem is not the league. The problem is to keep the relationship with the board and to have the same ideas in the project."

Pressed to clarify that being on the same page – and not Spurs' division – is crucial for him, De Zerbi added: "Yes. Everyone on the same page."

Analysis: De Zerbi is all in – but needs Spurs to match that

Sky Sports News reporter Michael Bridge:

From sitting down with Roberto De Zerbi it is clear how ambitious he is and the conviction he has that Spurs will be back in the Premier League's top six next season if they can avoid relegation.

But, of course, with six games to go that is a very big 'if'. Spurs are the only side in the Premier League yet to win a game in 2026. A coach of his stature managing in the Championship?

I put the question to him of whether he could guarantee he would be at Spurs next season, even if they are relegated. For De Zerbi, everyone at Spurs being aligned and his relationship with the board – not the division the team are playing in – are most important to him.

That is a principle De Zerbi brings to every club he coaches. You could see that at Marseille and Brighton. He can only operate when giving 100 per cent to his club and this was his way of saying he needs to get that back from Spurs.

The summer's transfer window will be a key test of that, with a huge rebuild required whatever happens in the final weeks of the season. De Zerbi will want to feel supported whether that is spending big on a player for promotion or to qualify for Europe.

De Zerbi is confident that if Spurs do stay up that they will be fighting among the Premier League's elite next season for one of those top six positions. He has no doubt about the potential of this club - but it comes back to that big 'if' once again. Can he keep them up?

'If you don't have character, you won't play'

De Zerbi takes charge of his first Spurs home game on Saturday against his former club Brighton, live on Sky Sports.

A victory against the Seagulls will take Spurs out of the relegation zone, at least momentarily, before West Ham take on Crystal Palace on Monday, live on Sky Sports.

In a bid to unite the group, De Zerbi took the squad out for dinner as he admitted he has to focus more on getting to know the players rather than trying to figure out why things have gone so wrong.

"I have to get to know my players better and better every week," he said during his pre-match press conference on Friday.

"We have no time to lose. We have no time to understand the problems we have this season. We have to be focused just on the next game. Transfer confidence.

"I can bring my philosophy of football. But also working to create a good atmosphere, a good relationship with the players. In this moment of football, the qualities of the players are important. But the spirit, the relationship between the players is too.

"We have to feel everyone's responsibility in this situation. And we can't cry. We have to push to get out of this situation.

"We need players with personality and character. Otherwise they don't play with me."

De Zerbi looking for leaders to reveal themselves

With captain Romero now out for the season, it leaves an already young and fragile Spurs squad with one less commanding presence on the pitch.

While De Zerbi admitted he had bigger problems to deal with than deciding who will take the armband for the remaining six games, he believes that several players in his squad can step up and become leaders in different ways.

"There are a lot of different types of leader," he added.

"A leader who talks inside of the dressing room. A leader with the ball. A leader in tough moments. A leader because he helps his team-mates. To be a stronger team we need many of those.

"I would like Micky van de Ven to reach this level. [Rodrigo] Bentancur is a leader. Palhinha is another.

"I would like to push with [Dominc] Solanke because he is one of the best strikers in the Premier League. I want him to become stronger as a personality and a character on the pitch. Xavi Simons is very young, but is a leader on the ball because he has personality. He has the right character to receive the ball when the ball is hot. But we need characters and personalities."

De Zerbi calls for leadership from a squad full of youngsters

Analysis from Callum Bishop:

It is often said that when you have a squad full of young talent, you need experienced heads to help drag them through testing moments. But, where is that experience for Tottenham?

With Romero out until the end of the season, De Zerbi has one less leader to rely on when he sends his team out onto the pitch. James Maddison can't help. There's no timeframe on Dejan Kulusevski's return. Not even Ben Davies can come in and provide any calmness in this pressure cooker.

Even if they were available to help on the pitch, it may not be enough. Even with the injured players included, Spurs have the third-youngest squad in the Premier League this season.

That means that players who have not felt the responsibility of fighting for survival are being asked to step up and show leadership that can drag their side away from a worst-case scenario.

Someone like Solanke would be a natural figure to point to. He's been there with Bournemouth before. Yet, De Zerbi's comments make it sound like the striker isn't that type of personality. The fact he references Xavi Simons, a player who though technically brilliant has struggled to adapt to English football, is a worry.

All that certain is that in the next six games, someone needs to take the bull by the horns. Or, the Seagulls by the wings on Saturday, and prove they are the man that De Zerbi can turn to over the course of the run-in.

Watch Tottenham vs Brighton live on Saturday Night Football from 5pm, live on Sky Sports Main Event.

(c) Sky Sports 2026: Tottenham: Roberto De Zerbi says relationship with Spurs board will decide future - not Premier League relegation