Tottenham midfielder James Maddison has lavished praise on "passionate" manager Roberto De Zerbi after the Italian orchestrated a dramatic escape from Premier League relegation on the final day of the season.
Last-Day Survival
Spurs faced a nervy finale to a dismal campaign. While relegation rivals West Ham secured a 3-0 victory over Leeds on Sunday, a 43rd-minute strike from Joao Palhinha gave Tottenham a vital win over Everton, ensuring their top-flight status was preserved.
De Zerbi's Impact
De Zerbi took charge at the end of March with Tottenham winless in the Premier League in 2026. The club slipped into the relegation zone before his debut at Sunderland, raising fears of a first relegation in 49 years. Further setbacks followed, with Cristian Romero and Xavi Simons sidelined, but the Italian's infectious positivity restored belief and rebuilt the connection with a desperate fanbase.
After a 15-match winless league run ended at Wolves, De Zerbi's final act on Sunday was to inspire Tottenham to their first home Premier League victory since December 6, in front of an emotionally charged crowd in N17.
Maddison's Tribute
Maddison, who has missed most of the season with a serious knee injury, hailed De Zerbi's influence: "I am really happy for the manager who came in and steered the ship clear because I think without him, it could have been doom and gloom if I am honest.
"He's so passionate. He's been living at the training ground with the guys, with his team. He's there at 9pm with all his staff. They've got the tactics board up, there's six of them, they're just talking, it's 9pm and we've already had four or five meetings on each game. He's just obsessed with football and he's passionate.
"When you feel the authenticity of someone who's passionate for Tottenham, because I am, I love this club and I want this club to be successful so bad, and when you see the man who's steering the ship, when he's that genuine, and not just saying it for the sake of it, you can tell he means that.
"That's why he says, 'I have blood inside me, not water'. He always says that. It's because he's genuinely passionate about the club.
"Without that appointment, disaster could have maybe struck, but it didn't and he takes a lot of credit for that because of the work he's done behind the scenes and on the training pitch.
"I don't want to say something ridiculous and give you a massive headline, but no Europe, which is not what this club should be at, but it is the reality and it can help which it showed with Manchester United this year. So, I'm excited under this manager."
