De Zerbi's comments about Tottenham Hotspur over the weekend have made him some "enemies" in Italy.

De Zerbi has been told to "win more and joke less" ahead of Tottenham Hotspur's clash with Liverpool.

Spurs manager hopes the team will end their goal drought when they travel to Liverpool in the third round of the Carabao Cup on Tuesday night.

Spurs have failed to score in three consecutive matches and haven't scored since beating Charlton Athletic in the previous round of the domestic cup competition last month. Despite Tottenham's attacking struggles, De Zerbi remains pleased with his players' defensive performance.

Speaking to reporters over the weekend after the team drew 0-0 again, the Spurs manager joked that such a performance would be enough to make him the "best coach" in Italy.

De Zerbi said: "This is a mental barrier, because we haven't won or scored in four matches."

"It's also difficult for the players, because they are human beings, and they are all good people. I ask them to follow me, because if I could stay positive last season, why can't I do the same this season? I don't understand."

De Zerbi added: "For example, in Italy, I should be the best coach now, right? Two matches, two clean sheets. Two clean sheets? (Turning to the Italian reporter) What will you write tomorrow? Clean sheet or no goals? Say what you actually want to write. I think I'm right."

Corriere della Sera sharply criticised De Zerbi for belittling his own country to please English journalists. The Italian media outlet also referenced Italy's "glorious history" in international competitions.

"Italy is moving closer to Europe," wrote Corriere della Sera, a quote reported by Sport Witness and published via NapoliZist. "Maybe soon we won't be mocked by De Zerbi anymore. He's in trouble at Tottenham Hotspur, but one day, to get out of trouble, he mocks us. 'I have two consecutive clean sheets: in Italy, they would say I'm the best.' All the English journalists in the room laughed.

"Mr De Zerbi, please don't be sarcastic about your own country. It may be lagging behind now, but it has a glorious history, winning four World Cups, while England has won only one. At least he should be more Italian, get better results, and less joking. If he can."

Meanwhile, La Gazzetta dello Sport's response was far more pragmatic. They pointed out that Tottenham Hotspur are in the early stages of a new project, and the team still has "great potential" waiting to be unlocked.

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