Mathys Tel has now opened up on how intense pre-season preparations have been this summer under Roberto De Zerbi at Tottenham.
Pre-season for Tottenham Hotspur remains the focus, with the Premier League season less than a month from kicking off.
This summer has thus far allowed Roberto De Zerbi time to work with his players and instil his tactical principles and demands ahead of what will be a crunching challenge for Spurs as they look to improve on their abysmal display from last term.
So far, De Zerbi’s side have looked impressive in their summer camp, conceding no goals and managing three of their own.
They beat MK Dons 1-0 in their first pre-season friendly before defeating Auckland FC 2-0 in the opening game of their tour of New Zealand and Australia.
Mathys Tel reflects on Tottenham pre-season work and Sydney FC test
Up next is a game against Sydney FC as Spurs continue their tour. De Zerbi has maintained a selection that includes both experienced heads and youngsters as he continues to manage his senior players’ minutes.
Included in the Tottenham XI for the clash against Sydney was Mathys Tel, who was a bright spark from the bench against Auckland FC.
The Frenchman will be aiming to impress De Zerbi this summer as he pushes for a spot as the starting wide forward off the left for Tottenham.
Tel has now opened up on what pre-season camp has been like under De Zerbi so far. Speaking to the official Tottenham account, he explained the intensity and purpose behind the work.
He said: “This is what we are working for so we are used to it, and I would say we all enjoy it, enjoy it, because sometimes it can be tough, but it is for a good reason.
“We know why we are doing this, the manager why he does it also. For myself, I really enjoy working hard every day with him. Always try to understand all details about us, about the opponent.
“Sometimes the training can be like two hours because he wants us to understand what he wants to give us, understand how we have to play, how we need to play. And we have to understand because he has got goals, we have got goals as well.
“We all together have goals, we know where we want to go. So yes, we are just working on everything every day. If anything is long, absolutely normal. Because when you want to be better, you have to work more.”
Spurs eye strong finish to pre-season
Spurs’ friendly games for the summer are set to end on August 16 with a match against German outfit TSG Hoffenheim.
| Fixture | Date | Kick-off (UK) |
|---|---|---|
| Spurs vs MK Dons | Wednesday, July 22 | 5pm |
| Auckland FC vs Spurs | Sunday, July 26 | 4:30am |
| Sydney FC vs Spurs | Wednesday, July 29 | 10.45am |
| Chelsea vs Spurs | Saturday, August 1 | 10.45am |
| Spurs vs Getafe CF | Saturday, August 8 | 3pm |
| Spurs vs TSG Hoffenheim | Saturday, August 15 | 3pm |
| Spurs vs TSG Hoffenheim | Sunday, August 16 | 12 noon |
Following that clash, De Zerbi and his men will have just six days before they play their first Premier League game of the season on Sunday against Brentford.
For the Tottenham boss, his focus will be to keep his players fresh and injury-free as they aim for a more respectable finish after coming in 17th place last campaign.