Roberto De Zerbi has openly criticised his Tottenham players after the 1-0 defeat at Leeds United, questioning their character, mentality and inability to compete when it mattered. Spurs had travelled to Yorkshire full of confidence after three straight wins against Coventry City, Chelsea and Crystal Palace, results that eased the pain of a difficult start to the 2026-27 season and raised hopes that De Zerbi was turning things around.
That run ended when Noah Okafor scored in the 79th minute to give Leeds all three points. The loss drops Tottenham to 10th in the Premier League table.
Much of the post-match talk focused on Jayden Bogle escaping a red card for his dangerous challenge on Mathys Tel, which forced Tel off, and on a VAR review that left the Leeds defender on the pitch. BBC Sport reports that Tottenham plan to lodge a formal complaint with Pro Ref, as the club is believed to be unhappy with the decisions of referee John Brooks and the VAR officials.
De Zerbi, though, refused to let the officiating become an excuse. He gave a brutally honest assessment of his players, saying they lacked the personality and courage needed against Leeds. In his view, Spurs lost their individual battles, didn’t make good decisions even when there was space to play, and failed to show who they are as a team. He called it part of the journey, but said the squad has to be honest with itself, because without honesty the future won’t be good.
He argued that an honest look at the second-half performance could still help Spurs become a top team, since they have the physicality and quality. But he stressed it isn’t only about winning the physical contest, and said the team showed no character, personality or courage.
The Italian also said his players have the ability to go to Elland Road, play better and perhaps win, so the problem wasn’t talent but maintaining standards. He admitted they may not yet be ready to perform consistently over many games in a row, though the squad knows where it needs to improve. He was surprised by the second half, as the players had trained well all week and had discussed the intensity and type of game they would face at Leeds, so none of it should have been a shock.
De Zerbi also questioned the consistency of Brooks’ officiating. He was unhappy that Pedro Porro was booked for a challenge in the second half and compared it with the Tel incident, saying the same kind of position was treated as two different fouls. He called the yellow card for Porro unacceptable and, while unsure whether Bogle’s challenge merited a red, said the referee’s standard wasn’t good enough in either situation.
For Spurs, the defeat is a setback after three encouraging wins suggested they were finding consistency. De Zerbi’s comments hint at deeper problems in the squad that must be fixed if the team is to establish itself among the Premier League’s strongest sides.
