Roberto De Zerbi has revealed the one rule his Tottenham players had to follow during their secretive warm-weather training camp in Marbella last week.
With an extended break to prepare for Monday night’s Premier League clash at home to Coventry, Spurs headed to southern Spain for a change of environment.
Head coach De Zerbi enforced a social media blackout so his players could focus and avoid distractions as they search for their first Premier League win of the season.
Spurs’ social media accounts did not publish any footage from the training camp, while an official squad list remained private. De Zerbi has now admitted that his squad were also not allowed to use their phones during meals.
Struggle: Tottenham remain winless in the Premier League under Roberto De Zerbi this season
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"We worked on the pitch, we stayed together - we removed phones from breakfast, lunch and dinner to stay together because now it is like (fiddles with imaginary phone) all the time," the Spurs boss said.
"We had two or three important meetings speaking about football - our situation and how everyone has to take responsibility - and nothing more. There were some dinners just for the players, some dinners just for the staff."
De Zerbi has been keen to take the weight off his players’ shoulders, and he afforded them some downtime in Marbella, with several members of the squad meeting British heavyweight boxer Anthony Joshua as he prepares for his fight with Tyson Fury in December.
After a difficult pre-season, in which travel, commercial commitments and staggered return times from the World Cup left De Zerbi unhappy with his side’s preparations, the Italian said lessons had been learned.
"As a coach, you understand you have to improve, you have to change the situation, and you try to find all solutions," De Zerbi continued. "I already did this type of training camp twice with Marseille, and it was a good solution.
“I spoke with the club, with Vinai [Venkatesham, CEO], with Johan [Lange, sporting director], with the owner, and together we took the decision.
"But it's nothing special. It's just to spend more time together because in pre-season we couldn't.
Biding his time: James Maddison has not started a Premier League game for Tottenham since April 2025
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“We had many new players and players who came back from the World Cup. Three or four days together without family, putting the club at the top of their priorities is normal and is good."
At the top of De Zerbi’s priority list will have been improving his team’s physical conditioning, with fitness issues continuing to hold Spurs back this season.
With a nine-day break between their 1-1 draw with Manchester United and Monday’s game against Coventry, Spurs had a rare opportunity to get some players back close to full fitness.
De Zerbi, though, still seems reluctant to insert James Maddison back into his starting lineup, with the midfielder not having started a Premier League game since April 2025.
"Maybe, yes [he can start],” De Zerbi said of Maddison, who suffered from a shoulder fracture earlier this season and missed most of last term with a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament.
“You need to play many games to reach the best physical condition but there are players able to be important even if they play 10-15-20 minutes, and James is one player like this.
“Right now he is ready to start the game, but I don't know if we will start with him. I'm waiting for that moment.”