Roberto De Zerbi, Tottenham Hotspur's head coach, spoke about the importance of Sandro Tonali in his new project with the club, confirming that the Italian midfielder possesses all the qualities that qualify him to take on a leadership role within the team.
De Zerbi said in statements to Sky Sport Italia: "If I have already succeeded in convincing him to join, then I can only be happy about that. I told him the truth, because I always speak frankly to the players about what I think."
He added: "I see him as a player who has always been a leader in every team he has played for, and therefore he can play an important role here, with a team that is going through a rebuilding phase."
The Italian coach continued: "I have been following Tonali since he was playing for Brescia, the club that belongs to my city and that I personally support. When he was eighteen years old, he looked like a veteran player, and I believe this is something that I and Tottenham can help him develop better compared to other clubs."
Regarding the new phase with Tottenham, De Zerbi said: "This is my first real season with Tottenham; last season was limited to trying to stay in the league, but now we can start building something sustainable in the toughest league in Europe."
The Italian coach touched on the differences between football in England and Italy, explaining: "You experience football in a different way in England, as there are fewer training camps that represent important opportunities to spend time together, but it is also true that the pressures are much greater in Italy, and often we are the ones who impose them on ourselves."
De Zerbi stressed the importance of building bonds between the players off the pitch, saying: "If you spend time together just to pass the time, it is better for you to stay at home. But if you invest that time well to enhance harmony and cohesion among yourselves, then that is essential."
The Italian coach cited the Argentina national team as a model for the importance of team spirit, saying: "Just look at the Argentina squad in the World Cup; team spirit pushed them to exceed their capabilities. It is not easy, but I believe this spirit can be built here as well, as it is no less important than the style of play."
De Zerbi pointed out that he is trying to transfer some Italian habits to Tottenham, especially with regard to strengthening relationships between the players, explaining: "In Italy, the players go out together a lot, and I am trying to transfer some of this habit to my teams by organizing some shared dinners."
He added: "When I was at Marseille, I organized a training camp for this purpose, so that it would not be limited to football only, but so that we could also share details of our lives. However, it depends on the group of players available to you, as they are not all the same."
