Jan Paul van Hecke has described how warmly Tottenham’s squad regard Roberto De Zerbi, as the manager’s early impact continues to lift the mood at the club. Spurs beat Chelsea 2-0 at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, their second win of the new season. That moved them out of the relegation zone and up to 14th, only four points shy of the fifth-place finish that earned Champions League football last term. It also ended a barren run at Chelsea’s ground dating back to 2018, and was just the second Spurs win there in over three decades.
Van Hecke, who played under De Zerbi at Brighton and is jokingly called the manager’s “son” because of their closeness, told football.london that the players are fully behind their coach. By his account, the manager is adored in the dressing room and everyone is content. Knowing exactly what De Zerbi wants from him has helped, he said, though he accepted that the team will keep improving only as they absorb the manager’s style over time. The warmth was visible after the final whistle, when Pedro Porro cheekily planted a kiss on the back of De Zerbi’s neck during a club interview.
The defender said the squad is buzzing, felt the win was richly deserved, and praised the football played and the work rate shown. He also credited the travelling supporters, whose noise and passion, he said, gave the players an extra push on the pitch.
Tottenham were just as impressive without the ball. Chelsea came in with one of the league’s strongest attacking records but failed to score for the first time this season, while Spurs kept their third clean sheet of the campaign. Van Hecke admitted the players knew about the long wait for a win at Stamford Bridge and that it fuelled their motivation, noting that football has good records and bad ones and this was a bad one finally put to bed. He said the win was a big confidence boost, and that the players would savour it for a day or two before refocusing on the next challenge.
The mood around N17 is far brighter now, with the fans enthusiastic and results starting to arrive. Spurs will still need to stay consistent and committed to keep climbing, but if Van Hecke is right, De Zerbi already has the one thing he needs most: a squad that trusts and believes in him.
