Tottenham midfielder James Maddison just spilled the tea, praising Roberto De Zerbi as the ultimate attacking coach for his game and saying he’s “excited” for what’s coming next. This isn’t just player-speak, folks, this is a legit endorsement for a manager who walked into an absolute mess in London and instantly started to turn things around.
De Zerbi Dragged Spurs Back From the Brink, No Kidding
Seriously, let’s rewind a bit to when De Zerbi first hit the scene in March. Tottenham was in a flat-out nightmare scenario, winless in the Premier League for 2026 after interim boss Igor Tudor got sacked. Can you even imagine that kind of pressure? But De Zerbi took the reins and somehow navigated them out of that chaos, guiding them all the way to 17th place. Yeah, 17th ain’t exactly champagne territory, but that tense 1-0 win over Everton on the last day of the season secured their survival. That was massive. Now, he’s building a whole new squad with some aggressive summer spending, bringing in big names like Mateus Fernandes from West Ham, Sandro Tonali from Newcastle, and Jan Paul van Hecke from his old club Brighton. Plus, snagging Andy Robertson, Marcos Senesi, and Martin Dubravka on free transfers? That’s smart business, reshaping this team with a fresh look.
Maddison’s Comeback and What it Means for This Squad
Maddison, who missed most of last season with a serious knee injury, is back and sounded “pumped up for the next chapter” while in Sydney. This guy is reportedly set to be named the Spurs’ new captain, which tells you everything about the belief in him. He’s still figuring out De Zerbi’s system, but he’s already buzzing about it. “The manager is very clear, the goal is to be better, to play better football, to be passionate, to be proud to play for this club,” Maddison said. And the kicker: “He’s a coach you want to play for because he loves everything with the ball. He’s very attacking, and I’m really excited.” That’s the kind of energy you need when you’re trying to build something special. Tottenham just kicked off their pre-season tour with an entertaining 2-0 win over A-League champions Auckland FC in New Zealand, with Dane Scarlett and Richarlison bagging the goals. Early days, sure, but a win is a win!
So what’s next for this revamped Spurs squad? They face Sydney FC on Wednesday, then get a big test against London rivals Chelsea in Sydney three days later. The real deal kicks off on August 22 against Brentford in their opening Premier League game. Maddison put it perfectly: “It’s a big season for us under a new manager. We want to have a successful season. We need to be better than the last couple of seasons.” You can feel the hunger. It’s all about “creating the team, how we want to play and the style we want to play.” Get ready, because De Zerbi and Maddison are cooking up something intriguing, and you won’t want to miss it.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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