In the end, Sandro Tonali will begin again at Tottenham, in a deal worth €108 million. In England they call it “De Zerbi’s magic”, and it is not a phrase that feels too far from the truth. Because the Spurs manager was decisive in bringing the former Milan midfielder to north London from Newcastle, the club that had already rebuilt him – and helped him find himself again during the darkest moment of his career. But when certain football minds have that kind of pull, there is little to be done. “I spoke with De Zerbi for almost two hours,” Tonali explained. “He told me about the club, the fans, the stadium and our way of interpreting football. For me it was almost like a spell, because I immediately understood that I had to sign for Tottenham. I cannot wait to begin.”
Tonali is only the latest in a long line of players to have fallen under De Zerbi’s influence. From Donbas to the Via Emilia. Manuel Locatelli, speaking about his time at Sassuolo, has repeatedly said that “a coach like this changed my life, helping me mature both on the pitch and away from it. Without him I would never have reached Juventus.” Similar praise, again from his time with the Neroverdi, came from Kevin-Prince Boateng towards the end of his career, while Domenico Berardi highlighted De Zerbi’s extraordinary tactical preparation: “With De Zerbi it felt like we were moving with a joystick, but we were having an incredible amount of fun.”
A coach who leaves a mark wherever he goes. “De Zerbi at Shakhtar changed the way I play,” says Dodô, who moved to Fiorentina after his experience in Ukraine. “As a pure defender he pushed me further forward, making me attack more and occupy the centre of the pitch better.” Then came the Brighton years, when Roberto’s work on the south coast earned repeated praise from a master like Guardiola, as well as from the many players he helped develop. According to Adam Lallana, one of De Zerbi’s greatest qualities is his ability to “make his players love him like a father”, as long as they follow his instructions on the pitch down to the smallest detail.
Alexis Mac Allister, who without De Zerbi might never have become a world champion with Argentina, speaks of him in similarly uncompromising terms. He says he worked with “a madman, a true Italian. I adore him: he is the best coach I have ever had. The passion he transmits for football is special and his tactical qualities are extraordinary. He makes you feel good, and from the first day I met him he was fantastic with me. That is why I consider him number one.”
The examples keep coming, and Tonali – even before experiencing his methods first-hand – appears to be the latest in a long line of “Roberto’s boys”, players drawn in by the force of his footballing ideas. De Zerbi may not have succeeded everywhere: only a few months ago he left Marseille amid widespread disappointment. Yet he has never stepped away from his principles, from his way of seeing and transmitting the game. And that is how he managed to save a Tottenham side heading towards collapse – the minimum required, perhaps, but far from certain given the direction of travel in the spring. After the scare, Spurs can now start again with a coach who will give them a clear identity, on and off the pitch. Judging by Tonali and the others, plenty of players would put themselves forward for the chance to work with De Zerbi. Perhaps that is no coincidence.