Roberto De Zerbi had already planned Tottenham’s week-long break, with the head coach believing several players are not yet fit enough for his demanding style.
Fresh details have emerged regarding Roberto De Zerbi’s decision to grant Tottenham Hotspur‘s non-international players a week-long break following their 3-2 home loss to Aston Villa. While initial reports sparked debate given Spurs’ winless five-game run and 18th-place league positioning, new information clarifies that the hiatus was a deliberate, pre-scheduled choice rather than an impulsive response to recent results.
According to reporting from Football London’s Alasdair Gold, shared by Hotspur Lane on X, De Zerbi had already planned well in advance to give non-international players the first week of the international break off. More significantly, the report highlights De Zerbi’s ongoing belief that a significant portion of his squad remains physically unprepared to meet the demands of his tactical system.
As posted by Hotspur Lane:
“Roberto De Zerbi had ALREADY PLANNED to give the non-international THFC players the first week of the international break off. De Zerbi had made it clear that he believes a number of his players are NOT fit or sharp enough yet to play his brand of football. – Alasdair Gold“
Bridging the Physical and Tactical Gap
De Zerbi’s brand of football relies heavily on precise spatial positioning, intense pressing, and high-frequency movement off the ball. Implementing these demanding principles requires peak physical conditioning. When players lack full match sharpness, structural gaps inevitably appear during transitions.
This physical shortfall aligns directly with Spurs’ recent performance trends. In the defeat against Aston Villa, defender Jan Paul van Hecke noted how “energy drained away from the team” during the second half, while underlying metrics show central midfielders like Rodrigo Bentancur being dribbled past more times (9) than any other Premier League player this season. Without top-tier physical condition, Tottenham’s squad has struggled to maintain De Zerbi’s required tactical intensity across 90 minutes.
By granting this planned rest period, De Zerbi appears to be giving his players a physical and mental reset before embarking on an intensive preparation phase during the second week of the break. The strategy aims to ensure that when training resumes at Hotspur Way, the remaining squad members can perform at maximum output without risking burnout or muscular injury.
This approach sits alongside individual efforts within the squad. Attacker Mohammed Kudus voluntarily opted out of international duty with Ghana specifically to work on his conditioning in North London.
With an October 10th fixture against Manchester United at Old Trafford fast approaching, De Zerbi will need this combined approach of rest and targeted physical preparation to yield immediate results if Tottenham are to build match sharpness and haul themselves out of the relegation zone.
