2026-05-26 08:57:57

James Maddison has hailed Roberto De Zerbi for saving Tottenham from relegation.

Spurs preserved their Premier League status with a 1-0 victory over Everton on the final day of the season on Sunday (24.05.26) and the midfielder believes the club may have succumbed to the drop had it not been for the “passionate” coach.

Maddison, who was absent for the vast majority of the season due to a serious knee injury, said: “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.”

Fellow midfielder Conor Gallagher also lauded the manager for helping him turn things around following a difficult start to his Spurs career.

He said of De Zerbi: “He completely turned around the start of my Spurs career.

“From the first day or two he had everyone under his wing, you can say.

“Everyone trusted him instantly and everything he was doing, it was like, ‘Thank God he’s come in’, straight away.

“I can’t speak highly enough of him for what he’s done for the club, for the team and for me individually. I’m looking forward to working with him even more.”

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