Just hours after Spurs returned from their 2–1 victory at Villa Park—earned through goals from Conor Gallagher and Richarlison—the Tottenham head coach was spotted in the directors’ box at Chelsea. The win lifted Spurs out of the relegation zone, but De Zerbi showed no intention of slowing down.
The 46-year-old took his seat alongside Marcello Quinto, a senior member of his Tottenham staff. Quinto previously worked with De Zerbi at Brighton and Marseille and also played under him at Foggia before turning to coaching following his retirement in 2020.
Also positioned nearby was Frank Trimboli, head of football at CAA Base, the agency heavily involved with Tottenham players and staff. At one point, De Zerbi was seen speaking with Chelsea’s sporting director Paul Winstanley as well as Sam Jewell, the club’s global recruitment director. Jewell worked with the Italian during their time together at Brighton.
De Zerbi’s presence at Stamford Bridge is hardly surprising. Tottenham’s next away match is at Chelsea on May 19, just three days after the Blues contest the FA Cup final against Manchester City. The Italian coach is known for meticulous preparation, and attending this fixture gave him the chance to assess Spurs’ upcoming opponents first-hand.
He may also have been taking the opportunity to watch Nottingham Forest—another club involved in the relegation battle. Forest made eight changes following their Europa League semi-final first leg against Aston Villa, yet they raced into an early lead at Stamford Bridge with goals from Taiwo Awoniyi and Igor Jesus inside the opening 15 minutes.
Tottenham now turn their attention to a home game against Leeds United next Monday. Despite securing back-to-back Premier League wins for the first time since the opening weeks of the campaign, De Zerbi has urged his squad to stay grounded.
“The crucial thing now is to remember the situation before the Wolverhampton game,” he said. “In football things change quickly. If you lose, you’re called stupid; if you win, you’re a champion. We must keep our balance. Leeds will be a very tough game, and we have to work this week while remembering what we’ve done over the last month.”
With Spurs’ battle against relegation still finely poised, De Zerbi’s relentless drive and attention to detail continue to shape Tottenham’s fight for survival.
