De Zerbi bans phones at meals to lift rock-bottom Tottenham's spirits

Roberto De Zerbi has taken another step in his bid to turn Tottenham's season around. The Italian coach confirmed on Monday that he banned the use of mobile phones at breakfast, lunch and dinner during the squad's training camp in Marbella. The decision was designed to rebuild the connection inside a dressing room going through its worst moment in the Premier League: Spurs are bottom of the table and host Coventry on Monday with no margin for error.

• De Zerbi removed phones from all three main meals during the Marbella camp.
• Tottenham spent more than £380 million on 10 new signings this summer yet sit bottom of the Premier League.
• Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison travelled to Spain after recovering from injury.
• Xavi Simons remains out with an anterior cruciate ligament injury, the same problem Maddison overcame.
• The manager said players were free to go out during the camp: "With no military rules."

De Zerbi's phone ban to fix Tottenham's crisis

The Italian manager explained how the stay on the Costa del Sol worked during his press conference. "We worked on the pitch, we stayed together – we removed phones from breakfast, lunch and dinner to stay together because now it is like being on the phone all the time," he said. On top of the restrictions, the coaching staff held two or three important meetings about football, the team's situation and the individual responsibility of every player.

There were also dinners reserved only for players and others only for staff. De Zerbi defended the initiative as a way to make up for the lack of togetherness during pre-season, a period marked by the arrival of several new signings and late returns after the World Cup.

Marbella camp as a turning point for the Spurs dressing room

De Zerbi had already tried this format twice during his time at Marseille, and the results convinced him to repeat it with Tottenham. "As a coach you understand you have to improve, you have to change the situation and you try to find all solutions," he said. The decision was made jointly with chief executive Vinai Venkatesham, sporting director Johan Lange and the club's owners.

The manager made it clear it was not a strict regime. When asked whether players could go out on their own in Marbella, he replied firmly: "Yes, with freedom. With no military rules. I love freedom." The idea, he insisted, was simply to spend more time together at a moment when the team needs to rebuild its identity.

Kulusevski and Maddison named in Tottenham squad

The camp in Spain also brought good news on the injury front. Dejan Kulusevski, back to fitness, was part of the travelling party along with James Maddison. The English playmaker is expected to face Coventry, the club where he developed, although he has not yet started for Tottenham since suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury in 2025.

De Zerbi remained cautious about Maddison's place in the starting line-up. "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," he admitted. He did praise his ability to make an impact even from the bench: "There are players able to be important even if they play 10, 15 or 20 minutes and James is one of those players."

Xavi Simons still out with the same knee injury

While Maddison closes in on his return, Xavi Simons remains on the sidelines. The Dutchman is dealing with the same anterior cruciate ligament injury and did not travel to Marbella. De Zerbi admitted he feels very close to the player during this process: "I am very close with Xavi Simons, for example, in this moment. I follow him step by step in his journey as an injured player."

The manager also praised Kulusevski's attitude, considering him a key piece even when he was struggling with fitness last season. "He was a very important player, even last season when he was injured. It is part of this job for the players, but at the same time it can be a crucial moment to become better and stronger," he added.

What is at stake for Tottenham against Coventry

Monday's meeting with Coventry comes at an extremely delicate moment. Despite the heavy summer investment, with 10 additions and an outlay of more than £380 million, Tottenham sit at the bottom of the table. A home defeat would deepen the crisis and increase the pressure on a project that has yet to find its direction.

De Zerbi hopes the Marbella experience can shift the mood inside the camp. The phone-free meals, the meetings about responsibility and the return of important players such as Kulusevski and Maddison are the pillars on which the Italian manager is trying to build the recovery.