At 00:30 on August 30 (CEST), Tottenham will host Newcastle United in the Premier League Round 2. Following the lift of media embargo, the full transcript of Tottenham head coach De Zerbi's pre-match press conference has been released. This article covers the second half of that content.

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【De Zerbi: Tonali transfer fee over 100 million? He's one of Premier League's finest midfielders and deserves that price】

Obviously I'm not expecting to uncover any secrets, but can you tell us if they (the board) still have ambitions? Did they say anything to encourage you? Did you discuss transfers?

No, those discussions are just part of normal relations. We had dinner with Vinai (CEO Venkatasham) and John (Sporting Director Lange) before the Chelsea match last season. And organizing, finalizing plans in the final days of the transfer window, discussing player fitness and strategy for the next three or four days—all of this is part of our job, nothing more.

But honestly, I have a very good relationship with all of them. I'm not pushing hard... This may be the first time I'm not pushing hard to improve the squad; they're the ones pushing. The owner is pushing strongly to bring in top players. For example, John Lange has been excellent at proposing solutions and ideas, and so has Vinai. I remember when we completed the Tonali deal, he video called me while I was on holiday, and he was so happy, laughing.

Because the transfer market isn't a personal issue for me. I work for Tottenham to make Tottenham better than what we had over the last two seasons. In these two seasons, it's not "Roberto wants these players." No, Roberto is working for Tottenham, and he, along with the board, staff, and players, all want to build the best team possible that we can.

Can I ask another question about home form? Last season, Tottenham's Premier League record at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium was quite poor. What have you done to change that?

I've read about it in reports, but for me, I haven't done anything yet, nothing. Because I've only coached and played three home matches—two draws and one big win. I can only speak to the period since I've been here, not before. We played Brighton, Leeds United, and Everton. The Brighton match was probably our best performance at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. We dropped two points against Leeds United, and although it wasn't a great game, it was enough to win. And before Everton, that day was special for me, both in memory and in life. I don't want to change anything since I started coaching.

We won the Carabao Cup two days ago. Yes, perhaps we conceded one goal in the Carabao Cup, which I wasn't too happy about. But in terms of performance and quality of play, it was excellent. We have to consider that many players were involved. Yes, but if these players are very good players, isn't that good news? I guided the team to victory from the bench once, and I can't comment on what happened before I took over; that wouldn't be appropriate. I think there were different managers, different issues, and a different atmosphere at that time. I don't know exactly what happened during that period.

Regarding home form, Roberto, do you think your football philosophy suits matches where you control possession, dominate the game, control the tempo, and create many chances?

Yes, I think that's part of it, a very important part. The other part, perhaps more important, is the mentality the players show at the start of the match. Because I think if we start the match correctly, the fans will support us. The 12th man is our fans. Otherwise, despite this being a wonderful stadium and the club having a great history—the memories in this stadium are different from typical stadiums—but if you want to be at a big club, that's the price you pay.

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