Tottenham’s De Zerbi Era Begins in Auckland
Tottenham’s summer stops being theoretical at 4am BST on Sunday. No more training clips, no more grainy behind-closed-doors footage. Roberto De Zerbi’s Spurs finally walk out in front of a crowd, at Eden Park, against Auckland FC.
The tour of New Zealand and Australia starts with a game that, on paper, is gentle enough. In reality, it is the first public glimpse of a club that has just spent more than £200million and is trying to drag itself away from back-to-back 17th-place finishes in the Premier League. The stakes may be low. The scrutiny will not be.
A new face on the touchline, a new look on the pitch
De Zerbi has already had one quiet win to work with, a 1-0 victory over MK Dons in a behind-closed-doors friendly on Wednesday. That was about patterns, pressing triggers, first impressions. Auckland is about connection — with travelling fans, with a region that turns out in big numbers for Premier League visitors, and with a squad that has been reshaped at pace.
Six new signings have arrived, and the chequebook has been anything but shy. Sandro Tonali, Mateus Fernandes, Andy Robertson, Jan Paul van Hecke and Martin Dubravka are all on the plane, part of a 35-man group that underlines how competitive this pre-season will be. Only Marcos Senesi, the Argentina centre-back, is missing from the new intake, left at home as the rest of De Zerbi’s rebuild heads south.
This is not a gentle refresh. It is a reset.
Big absences, bigger opportunities
The squad list tells its own story. Guglielmo Vicario has not travelled after what the club described as a “minor knock”. Pape Matar Sarr and Rodrigo Bentancur are also absent, both granted extended leave after their World Cup exertions.
Others who went deep into the tournament – Pedro Porro, Cristian Romero and Djed Spence – have stayed behind as well. For Romero and Vicario, the situation hovers over the tour: both have been heavily linked with moves away, and it is not yet clear whether either has already played his last game for Spurs.
Mohammed Kudus, Dejan Kulusevski, Xavi Simons and Wilson Odobert are also missing, all continuing rehabilitation at Hotspur Way from long-term injuries. On paper, that strips De Zerbi of a sizeable chunk of his first-choice core. On the pitch, it throws the door wide open.
Luca Williams-Barnett seized his chance against MK Dons, impressing in that quiet win, and will expect more minutes in Auckland. Mikey Moore is another youngster who suddenly finds a clear runway in front of him. For them, this is not a marketing tour. It is an audition.
Eden Park ready for a record crowd
Auckland FC are no mere sparring partners. They finished third in the A-League last season and will relish the chance to test themselves against Premier League opposition on home soil. A record crowd is expected at Eden Park, a stadium more used to rugby’s rhythms but increasingly comfortable hosting big football nights.
Spurs are likely to split their XI again, one team in the first half and another after the break, as De Zerbi sifts through combinations and fitness levels. The predicted lineup underlines how experimental this phase still is: Kinsky; Takai, Van de Ven, Van Hecke, Udogie; Fernandes, Tonali; Yang, Moore, Tel; Solanke.
There are familiar names in there – Micky van de Ven and Destiny Udogie anchoring the back line, Tonali ready to dictate from midfield – but also a clear hint that youth and new arrivals will be pushed straight into the spotlight.
From Auckland to Australia – and a step up in opposition
The schedule tightens quickly. After Auckland, Spurs cross the Tasman to face Sydney FC, then collide with London rivals Chelsea in Australia next week. By then, the physical sharpness should rise, the rotations narrow, the patterns harden.
For now, Eden Park is about first looks and first impressions. A club that has spent heavily, changed its coach and clung on to Premier League status by the fingernails in consecutive seasons needs signs of a new direction, even in July.
The ball rolls in Auckland before most Spurs fans have had their first coffee on Sunday. By the time they wake up properly, they will know a little more about what De Zerbi’s Tottenham might become – and who is ready to be part of it.
