De Zerbi candidly addresses Tottenham's relegation threat after losing to Sunderland, with the team still stuck in the Premier League relegation zone.
On 13 April 2026, Roberto De Zerbi, the new manager of Tottenham, spoke after the latest Premier League match where Tottenham lost 0-1 away to Sunderland in his first game in charge. He took over the difficult position following the dismissal of Igor Tudor.
After this game, Tottenham has gone 14 league matches without a win since the start of 2026. They remain in the relegation zone in 18th place on the latest Premier League table with 30 points, two points behind 17th-placed West Ham United, who are in the safety zone, with only six matches left to play.
When asked by the media if the fear of relegation from the top flight for the first time in 49 years is undermining the players' morale, Roberto De Zerbi openly admitted, "Yes, I think so."
"All the players are good people and are suffering through this period. They are unhappy about losing. They are unhappy seeing Tottenham at the bottom of the table. During training sessions in the week, they perform better because their minds are clearer, but during the matches, it is definitely different."
"I know them as people and players, and because of that, I am optimistic. We will not win games just because our name is Tottenham. You cannot win games on paper. You have to win by fighting on the pitch. You have to score goals."
However, Roberto De Zerbi still believes Tottenham can avoid Premier League relegation. "They are human, and they are suffering too much. Overall, we have to unite, stay positive, work hard, improve the football details, but also get better mentally."
"My job is to help them. We have the potential to win a game, and that is the goal right now. Because if we can win one game, everything will change."