Tottenham have flown to Marbella for a warm-weather training camp after a morale-boosting draw away at Manchester United last weekend.
Roberto De Zerbi primarily wants to use the camp to build his side’s physical conditioning after they entered the season lacking fitness following a disrupted pre-season.
The break, though, is also intended to provide an opportunity for team bonding as Spurs adjust to a summer of upheaval in which 10 new players arrived at the club for combined fees in excess of £300million.
A surprise early-season camp
A training camp this early into the season is a surprise, and likely a reaction to Spurs’ winless start, but De Zerbi has a history of using mid-season breaks to galvanise his teams.
In November 2024, while manager of Marseille, De Zerbi took his side, who were in the midst of a difficult run of form, on a four-day retreat in Mallemort, around an hour from Marseille.
The trip focused mainly on building tactical understanding, but De Zerbi also paired senior players with younger players in a bid to build camaraderie, while encouraging them to spend time together off the training pitch.
Proven results at Marseille
The trip worked wonders for Marseille, who went on to win three of their next four Ligue 1 games, and the players then organised a trip of their own a month later, with captain Leonardo Balerdi arranging a visit to Copenhagen.
When Marseille hit another slump in April 2025, De Zerbi again took his players away, this time to Rome. The team trained at Roma City FC and combined football with barbecues, table tennis and shared meals.
Once again Marseille responded, putting a run of five defeats in seven league matches behind them to take 10 points from their final four games and secure qualification for the Champions League.
Time to build unity
De Zerbi understands the benefit of team-bonding trips as a unifying force that can help breed confidence and community.
Spurs are not back in action until they host Coventry City next Monday, and De Zerbi will hope to spend valuable time with his squad, who he admitted looked like a team for the first time against United.
