Roberto De Zerbi, the newly appointed manager of Tottenham Hotspur, delivered an impassioned message to his players, staff and supporters as the club continues its battle to stay in the Premier League. In a candid interview with Sky Sports News, the Italian coach declared that the team is "not relegated yet" and urged everyone to stop the chorus of pessimism that has been growing around the club.
The statement came after Tottenham secured their first league victory of the 2026 season with a narrow 1‑0 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers. While the triumph was a welcome relief, it did little to lift the club out of the relegation zone; Spurs remain two points adrift of safety and still face a daunting run of fixtures. Adding to the difficulty are the recent injuries to key attackers Xavi Simons and Dominic Solanke, both of whom have been sidelined for an uncertain period. Looking ahead to the upcoming match at Aston Villa, De Zerbi made it clear that there is no room for defeatist attitudes.
When Sky Sports’ Michael Bridge asked whether he had heard the media suggesting that Tottenham’s season was effectively over, De Zerbi responded, "I saw the headlines, but this is not a polemic. I heard people saying, 'It is impossible to stay up.' We are hearing cries that we are already relegated. Not yet." He went on to explain his philosophy in vivid terms: "We have to die on the pitch – and to die on the pitch we have to lose the game.
Before losing the game, we have to play, we have to fight. We are two points behind West Ham, and they also have a tough game ahead.
This is not the best moment for us; it is a tough and difficult moment." De Zerbi emphasized that the most damaging voice is the one that whispers negativity inside the heads of players, coaches and fans alike. "The losers cry, the losers think negative. I don't want the people around me to be crying or thinking differently from me," he said.
"The biggest challenge now is to silence that inner voice." He listed a litany of excuses that he believes are being used to rationalise the club's struggles – claims of bad luck, too many injuries, insufficient medical support, poor training facilities and a belief that winning consecutive games is impossible. "All of that is rubbish," De Zerbi asserted.
"I want to focus on our own quality and the talent we have at our disposal." When asked about the upcoming clash with Villa, De Zerbi showed respect for the opposition but rejected the notion that a victory would be miraculous. "We are playing one of the best teams in the league right now. I have great respect for Unai Emery as a coach, but if Tottenham win at Villa Park it is not a miracle.
Maybe we lose, but we have the quality to win this game and it is not a miracle." He also highlighted the depth of the squad, pointing out that even with Simons and Solanke unavailable, the team can rely on players such as Randal Kolo Muani, Mathys Tel, Richarlison and others. "They are not worse players – they have different characteristics but they are very good," De Zerbi said. He named several other members of the roster – Pedro Porro, Destiny Udogie, Micky van de Ven, Rodrigo Bentancur, Joao Palhinha and Conor Gallagher – to illustrate the breadth of talent that can be called upon.
The interview also featured a back‑and‑forth with Michael Bridge, who tried to press De Zerbi on the impact of the injuries sustained in the Wolves win. Bridge noted that the club is dealing with a long list of absentees, including Wilson Odobert, Dejan Kulusevski, Mohammed Kudus and Cristian Romero, all of whom have suffered significant setbacks. He remarked, "When De Zerbi first arrived he said he wanted to count on Kudus, then he got a quad injury.
He wanted to count on Romero, then he suffered a serious injury at Sunderland. He wanted to count on Simons, then he was injured at Wolves." Despite the litany of misfortunes, De Zerbi refused to let the narrative become fatalistic.
"I am not going to listen to negativity," he said. "We have to stay positive and feel lucky because we work for a big club." The broader media reaction, as captured by Sky Sports tipster Lewis Jones, remains skeptical. Jones warned that the season is shaping up like a relegation battle and that the recent win at Wolves did not convince many observers, especially given the team's overall performance. He also pointed out that West Ham's last‑minute winner against a different opponent highlighted how fine margins can decide fate.
Nonetheless, Jones noted that betting markets still see value in Tottenham, offering odds that suggest a possible upset against Aston Villa. In summary, De Zerbi's message to Tottenham is clear: reject the defeatist chatter, focus on the players' abilities, and treat every match as an opportunity to prove that the club belongs in the top flight.
The upcoming fixture at Villa Park will be a crucial test of whether his rallying cry can translate into points on the board and, ultimately, keep Spurs out of the relegation zone.