Spurs vs Brighton | Every word of Roberto De Zerbi’s pre-match press conference

Last week, injury to Mo Kudus, now Romero out for the season – how disappointing is that?

Roberto: "Romero, I'm very sorry for him, for his injury. First of all, Romero loves Tottenham, people have to know he's suffering for this injury, suffering because he can't play for us again this season. He's a great captain for us. We have to be positive. We have Radu Dragusin and Kevin Danso, they are able to play, to play well, to give us the quality with the ball and to be strong in the defensive space so we can win. We want to win."

How has training been this week?

Roberto: “I have to get to know my players better and better every week, it's much better. Anyway, we have no time, we have no time to lose, we have no time to understand the problems we have spent this season and we have to be focused just on the next game and to transfer confidence to… I can bring myself, I can bring my philosophy of football, but also I'm working to create a good atmosphere, a good relationship with the players. I think in this moment, especially for Tottenham in this season, but in this moment of football, the qualities of the players are important but the spirit, the relationship between the players, the love the players put for their club are more important, for sure.”

I hear you took the players out for dinner?

Roberto: “Yes, I don't know if we win the game for dinner. I know we eat very well, the food was amazing, and if we win I'm ready to pay every week - one dinner.”

Did you see an uplift in the spirits of your players after that dinner? What did you make of how they reacted to just having some time away from the training pitch?

Roberto: “I believe in the people. I believe in the human relationship. I believe in the spirit. I believe in the soul of the players, before speaking about tactical dispositions, style of play, defensive play, with the ball, without the ball, set pieces… these things are important but, first of all, I work with people, with their problems. There are a lot of players and we have to build or rebuild or find in these last weeks the best relationship we can find. I want to see on the pitch players help their team-mates and push everybody for one target and to achieve our big, big target for us, because if we don't achieve our target, everyone loses something in their career.”

Do you have any players coming back for this game tomorrow?

Roberto: "Bentancur is available to play, I don't know if he starts the game or not. Bissouma is available 100% more than Sunderland game (where Yves was an unused substitute) but Vicario, no. Vicario is another top guy. I'm looking forward to work with him. Kinsky played very well against Sunderland, but Vicario is another important player for us - big experience, big character and personality.”

What do you think of the work that Fabian Hurzeler has done at Brighton and the way they play?

Roberto: “Fabian is a great coach, he's doing very well. I love Brighton. I love my former players. I'm grateful with Tony Bloom, with Paul Barber, with all players, all people working in this club. There are a lot of very good players, but Fabian is working very well and it's credit for what they are doing.”

With Romero out, who will be your captain tomorrow?

"I have to decide, I didn't decide yet because I have had other, more important problems to find a solution. I would like all players to feel to be a captain, especially in this moment. It's not important if you play in the first XI, if you play 30 minutes or 90 minutes, you can't play anyway, we have to feel everyone the responsibility of this situation and we can't cry, otherwise we have to push and to be stronger to come out of this situation, because we are able to do that.”

James Maddison is a leader, a character and back in training – could he play a part before the end of the season?

Roberto: "There are a lot of different types of leader. The leader who talks inside of the dressing room, the leader with the ball, the leader in the tough moment, the leader because he helps the team-mates. I think to be a stronger team we need many many leaders, for sure Maddison is different, Maddison is a top player on the pitch with the ball but also as a personality, as a character, as a mentality on the pitch. I would like to reach this level for Micky van der Ven, for example. Betancur is a leader, Palhinha is another leader. I would like to push with Solanke, because Solanke is one of the best strikers in Premier League and I want him stronger as a personality, as a character on the pitch. Also, Xavi Simons is very young, but he's a leader with the ball because he has personality, has the right character to receive the ball when the ball is hot, because it's not so easy to play in this moment for us, but we need players with personality and character, otherwise they don't play with me."

With Maddison, when do you think he will be able to play some minutes?

Roberto: "I don't know yet. I don't want to push too much. I'm used to waiting for the players when they are available, totally available to play and to restart the training, because it's better to lose one game more than to take a risk for another new injury."

The situation in the table is even worse than when you joined last week - how much of what you're trying to build is in terms of mentality?

Roberto: “I'm positive. I'm ready to fight. I believe to keep the Premier League, I believe in my words, what I said the last week was the focus is to win one game. I don't know if tomorrow we are able to win, I hope and I think we have the quality enough to win a game, but anyway we have to be stronger because the qualities of the player are bigger than all difficult we are spending in this moment.”

Do you think this might be a situation in which you just need to win one game and then everything can change?

Roberto: “Yes, I think it's crucial to win a game, not just for the table, okay, one part for the table for sure, but because we have to feel again what is nice to win a game and what they can do, because I have no doubt about the qualities of the players. When I watch the list of the squad – Bentancur, Bissouma, Palhinha, Xavi Simons, Kolo Muani, Richarlison, Micky van der Ven and I'm lucky for that. Okay, now is a tough moment, but to achieve the great target you have to pass through difficult times.“

When you reflect on your time with Brighton, how much have you evolved in your career?

Roberto: “Brighton is a special place for me, like Marseille, because Marseille is finishing in a different way but anyway, Brighton and Marseille for me are very close as emotions, as memories it was a magic place for me, it was a magic atmosphere with the players, relationship with the players. They are a lot like my children, because the relationship is so close - Danny Welbeck, Pascal Gross, Jason Steele, Webster, Veltman, Lewis Dunk… a lot of great memories, but I want to win tomorrow, for sure.”