Tottenham Hotspur manager De Zerbi attended the pre-match press conference ahead of the Premier League Matchday 6 away fixture against Manchester United. During the second part of the conference, De Zerbi addressed concerns about Maddison's injury, training arrangements during the international break, the development of Matheus Fernandes, and reflected on his playing career, including Juventus's relegation and his views on football governance.

Related reading: [De Zerbi: Porro to miss several games, Mudryk longer; Maddison available]

Reporter: During the break, many of your international players were away on duty with their national teams, but a significant number of key attacking players like Solanke, Savio, and Kudus remained at Tottenham's training ground. How valuable was this period for their individual and tactical development?

De Zerbi: They trained with great commitment. This included Udogie, Marcos Senesi, Kudus, Savio, Dominic Solanke, Conor Gallagher, and others. I greatly valued this tactical refinement phase with me, but I also cannot overlook the international players who were away. We are a complete Tottenham Hotspur, and whether players are with their national teams or training with me at the club, my expectations for them remain the same.

Reporter: This summer, both Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United were keen to sign Matheus Fernandes, and he ultimately chose Tottenham. Although he hasn't yet started in a traditional central midfield role, how important was securing him this summer? When do you expect he'll be ready for that position?

De Zerbi: Matheus Fernandes is an extremely talented, world-class player—arguably one of the most capable in our squad. He needs time to fully grasp the club's philosophy and to integrate and adapt to Tottenham Hotspur's environment. However, I have complete faith in him. He must deliver strongly. Life and football are never easy; they're full of challenges, and the essential quality is to face and overcome those difficulties with courage. When he's started, his performances have been excellent; he's played very well. He needs to continue developing. He has my absolute trust and the full backing of everyone at the club, but he needs time, and we must be patient with him.

Reporter: Roberto, if you don't mind, I'd like to take you back in time. In the 2006-07 season, you played for Napoli in Serie B, and you achieved promotion. Juventus finished ahead of you that season. Given that Juventus had just been relegated to Serie B because of "Calciopoli," do you remember how it felt to face them? Did other Serie B teams resent that they took up a promotion spot?

De Zerbi: Stop (gesturing to the interpreter). (To the reporter) What are you trying to say? Are you trying to steer this conversation towards Manchester City? Are you trying to bring Manchester City into this?

Reporter: I just wanted to know your personal feelings as a player back then.

De Zerbi: Ah, as a player—listen, when I was a player, I was very impulsive, and my mind was consumed by pure competition. I don't recall exactly what I was thinking back then. My focus was only on the ball and doing my job well. As a player, you don't think about complicated off-field matters; it's the same as a head coach—your entire focus is on your players. Especially now that our team is bottom of the table, I don't have time to worry about anything beyond my own team and club.

Reporter: But looking back, what long-term impact do you think that incident had on Italian football?

De Zerbi: Nothing. I believe there are people responsible for making decisions, and they must demonstrate responsibility and courage, always upholding honesty and fairness in their rulings. That is not my responsibility. My responsibility is to be a good football coach. But I firmly believe one thing: I genuinely love and strictly adhere to the rules.

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