De Zerbi’s ‘ultra’ roots and the Brescia connection at Spurs
World Cup 2026
There is a distinctly Brescian feel to N17 of late. While the Italian city’s famous old club were effectively declared bankrupt this week, a footballing passion forged at Stadio Mario Rigamonti may be fuelling Tottenham Hotspur’s revival.
Roberto de Zerbi, the manager who saved Spurs from relegation last season, was raised on the terraces of Brescia’s ‘curva’ by his father, Alfredo, who was president of the supporters’ clubs. De Zerbi says he was “born an ultra”.
“My dad is crazy about football. He was one of the leaders of the Brescia tifoseria. At home, we lived and breathed football. He was the one who passed that passion on to me,” the Italian told Salim Lamrani in his book Football According to Roberto de Zerbi.
Match Details
Tottenham’s Brescia connection runs through the playing squad too. Sandro Tonali, their new record signing, joined Le Rondinelle aged 12 and made his debut as a 17-year-old, helping Brescia return to Serie A before joining AC Milan in 2020.
De Zerbi says he followed the midfielder as he rose through the ranks at his boyhood club, and Tonali told BBC Sport on Thursday about the bond they share.
“Brescia is so small. I had two weeks there and met him two or three times,” he said.
Tournament Impact
“We spoke about Brescia, about the difficult situation facing our club.”
However, Tonali’s £100m move threatened to pose a contentious issue in Italy.
Amid mounting debt and financial problems, Brescia Calcio, owned by Massimo Cellino, were excluded from professional football by Italian authorities last summer.
Stay informed with the latest news on Wararka.so — your trusted source for Somalia and world news.
