At a Glance:
- Roberto De Zerbi has yet again angered Arsenal fans
- Some fans think his comments are very fitting for a Tottenham coach
- Another thinks the Italian’s message may have been misinterpreted
While Tottenham staying up has meant that the club can finally be happy about something this season, what manager Roberto De Zerbi has said about the club avoiding relegation in comparison to Arsenal’s league victory will anger passionate Gooners.
Arsenal lifted the Premier League trophy on the same day that Spurs avoided dropping down to the Championship, in a matchweek that saw both sets of North London fans content with the results that came their way.
Tottenham’s Italian head coach has already enraged Arsenal fans by suggesting that Micky van de Ven is better than Gabriel Magalhaes, but his most recent statement about Arsenal is arguably even more egregious.
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Roberto De Zerbi insists that Tottenham staying up is ‘better’ that Arsenal being crowned Premier League champions
In a recent interview that has gone viral on X (formerly Twitter), Roberto De Zerbi stated in regards to his team’s survival in the Premier League that “when you win a trophy or league, it’s a very, very nice moment. But when you stay up, it’s better.”
Tottenham managed to stay up on the final day of the Premier League campaign as fellow London club West Ham went down, following Spurs’ 1-0 win over Everton.
Meanwhile, Arsenal battled to a first Premier League title in two decades after looking like they would give the championship away to rivals Manchester City, and Mikel Arteta won his third trophy within his spell as Arsenal manager.
Roberto De Zerbi has a ‘Tottenham mentality’ according to Arsenal fans
The Italian’s comments have caused a lot of backlash and criticism to be directed his way on X, with one fan stating “Now he has a Tottenham mentality—winning trophies is a like a burden to them. How do you compare fighting relegation to winning the league, what top manager has that mentality? Always in our shadows though,” with a meme attached.
Another fan wondered why Tottenham did not have a parade for staying up (although Spurs players did party), saying “Football clubs do not aim to win nothing!! Try be [sic] in relegation it will feel so much better!! This has just signed his downfall, loser already!!! Mentality is zero!!! HA HA you can not make it up. Why is there no parade then?”
A final comment did defend De Zerbi, claiming that what he said was lost in translation: “[It is a] language difficulty. The relief of staying up is stronger than the elation of winning I think is what he’s trying to say. Just a pity we can’t relate.”
Ultimately, regardless of whether De Zerbi intended to say exactly what he said, Arsenal fans are in uproar over the comment—and it may be of concern to Spurs fans that their coach has such a mentality.
