tottenham Players are still getting used to life under Roberto De Zerbi, but Benfica goalkeeper Anatoly Trubin has already offered a detailed glimpse of what it’s really like to work with the Italian.
And judging by the Ukrainian’s words, the current Spurs manager makes a very strong impression on his players.
talking to to ballThe 24-year-old reflected on his season under De Zerbi at Shakhtar Donetsk in 2021/22. The Italian has clearly changed the way he looks at football.
Trubin described De Zerbi in one word: “crazy.”
However this was not a criticism. Quite the opposite.
Trubin explains the de Zerbi effect
Anatoly Trubin repeated many times that De Zerbi changed his understanding of football.
“He opened my eyes to another way of playing, even for me, as a goalkeeper. He wants everyone to know their role.” he explained.
“We still ask ourselves how we played football before him, because he opened a new way of playing for us.” He said.
The Italian has built his reputation around structured possession football, aggressive build-up play and demanding positional responsibilities. Goalkeepers become part of the build-up phase rather than simple shot stoppers.
For that reason, it’s especially interesting to hear such strong praise from a goalkeeper.
Trubin then also made it clear that he would welcome another opportunity to work with him, along the lines of something that would inevitably attract attention in North London.
“He can still teach me a lot,” The goalkeeper admitted that before answering whether he would like to move to England.
“There is no player in the world who does not want to play in the Premier League, but I have to continue to work hard.”
For now, Trubin says he’s happy in Lisbon, and touts its benefits “Ten Months of the Sun”. Nevertheless, the overall tone of the interview was extremely positive whenever De Zerbi’s name came up.
Could Tottenham finally take a look at him?
It is expected that Tottenham will make a decision in line with the target this summer.
Interest in Guglielmo Vicario remains and may not last forever, while Antonin Kinski still has to prove he can become a long-term No. 1 at Premier League level. This naturally makes the Trubin angle interesting.
The Ukrainian already understands the demands of De Zerbi better than most goalkeepers on the market. At 24, he also fits the profile that Tottenham usually target – young enough for development, but already experienced at a high level.
His figures have been strong this season too. In Liga Portugal, Trubin conceded only 20 goals in 32 matches and kept 13 clean sheets. Benfica allows a goal with him every 144 minutes, while the goals he concedes per 90 minutes is 0.63.
His shot blocking numbers are also impressive. Trubin saved 74 of the 98 shots he faced, giving him a save percentage of 75.51%.
Those statistics help explain why Benfica view him as one of Portugal’s most valuable goalkeepers. Manchester City were linked with them Before stepping in for Gianluigi Donnarumma. That’s why their stocks are high.
At present there does not seem to be anything to suggest that Tottenham are actively pursuing him. However, after such glowing comments about De Zerbi, and with uncertainty surrounding Spurs’ goalkeeping situation, Trubin suddenly feels like a profile worth watching if Tottenham are to remain in the Premier League.
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