De Zerbi Pledges to Stay Put Even if Spurs Take the Drop

Tottenham's manager has doubled down on his promise to stick with the club through thick and thin, vowing to remain in the hotseat even if the unthinkable happens and Spurs tumble out of the Premier League.

With just one fixture remaining, Tottenham sit two points clear of the drop zone, separated from West Ham by goal difference alone. A draw at home to Everton on Sunday would almost certainly seal their top-flight survival. But should they slip up and West Ham overcome Leeds, the Lilywhites would face the nightmare scenario of dropping into the Championship for the first time since 1977.

When pressed on whether he meant what he said in April about staying on regardless of results, De Zerbi left no room for ambiguity. "Yeah, I confirm everything," the Italian replied to reporters on Friday.

"It's still an honour to be a coach for Tottenham, even if on Sunday we play for the relegation fight, it's not a problem. I consider football something more than the table," he continued. "We are fighting for something very important for everyone. It is football. But we have enough quality. To attack the pressure, you have to find the valour inside of yourself, to understand the situation and force yourself to give your best."

Romero's Change of Heart

De Zerbi also addressed the situation surrounding captain Cristian Romero, who initially planned to skip the Everton match to watch his boyhood club Belgrano contest a title decider against River Plate. The defender is currently sidelined through injury and preparing for World Cup duty.

The manager acknowledged that leadership takes different forms within a squad. "Sometimes, not all the leaders are the same," he said. "Ben Davies spoke with me and asked to stay today to work with us. Tomorrow, we sleep in the hotel. He wanted to stay with the team and team-mates. Romero is preparing for the World Cup with an injury. For me, nothing changed. Then we have to think, everything is for the best future of Tottenham."

However, Romero had a change of mind and returned to London by Sunday morning, ready to be present for Tottenham's pivotal showdown.