De Zerbi takes Tottenham to Marbella for a mini pre-season as Spurs seek a reset
Roberto De Zerbi used Tottenham’s nine-day gap between matches for a Marbella training camp, aiming to make up for a disrupted pre-season and build stronger…
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Roberto De Zerbi used Tottenham’s nine-day gap between matches for a Marbella training camp, aiming to make up for a disrupted pre-season and build stronger connections in a reshaped squad. The timing matters: Spurs are 20th after six league games, with three points and no wins, and face Coventry at home on Monday, 19 October.
The Daily Mail reported that De Zerbi wanted the kind of dedicated preparation he felt Tottenham had missed over the summer. The club’s tour of Australia and New Zealand affected the training schedule, some players missed the trip because of the World Cup, and other signings arrived late in the transfer window.
The squad worked at Marbella Football Centre in La Quinta, which the Daily Mail says has 38 pitches, gyms and massage areas. De Zerbi had taken Marseille to the venue twice. The report says he wanted no distractions in Spain, with players training and spending time together. They stayed at The Hacienda del Mar, on the Costa del Sol west of Marbella, towards Estepona.
De Zerbi set out the purpose of the trip at his Friday press conference. He said Tottenham needed to improve their results and “become a stronger group”. He also stressed the importance of relationships and knowing teammates well. Spurs Web reported that the club posted no training footage during the stay, although a group photo of the players with boxer Anthony Joshua emerged after they visited his gym in Marbella.
Spurs’ recent league sequence is draw, loss, draw, draw, loss. De Zerbi’s former Marseille side, Spurs Web noted, turned around its form after two mid-season trips during the 2024-25 season. That offers a relevant precedent, but Tottenham’s immediate test is whether the work in Spain can translate into a result against Coventry.
A win would give the camp a result to build on before Tottenham travel to Chelsea on 24 October. The pressure is clear: De Zerbi has described the need to improve results, and Spurs have yet to win in the league this season.
