"Where is he?" De Zerbi said as he entered. "The one who is always there at the Tottenham training ground, he was negative and I'm positive. I want to hug him. Not to fight. I have no energy to fight anymore."
Joao Palhinha's close-range finish from Mathys Tel's corner secured survival before half-time at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, and a flying late save from goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky — tipping away Tyrique George's curling effort — sealed a 1-0 win that confirmed Spurs' Premier League status for next season. West Ham United's victory over Leeds United at the London Stadium meant little as they were relegated regardless.
De Zerbi was in a mood that mixed joy with an unmistakable edge of determination for what comes next.
"We deserve this day. We deserve this game. We deserve this win. We deserve everything of today. I think we deserve to stay up, because we made 11 points in seven games and deserved more. My players played a fantastic game — as a spirit, as a behaviour, as an attitude, but also as a quality of play. Especially in the first half."
He was equally clear that the experience of spending weeks fighting relegation is not one he will allow to be repeated: "We are Tottenham and we can't suffer like this until the last second of the last game to stay up. I will be stronger. My target now is finished staying up. My target is to start the pre-season with the team I have in my dream."
On rebuilding the squad: "I don't think we have now to change too many players. We have 10, 11, 12 players good enough to stay. Good enough — like players, especially like people. And then we have to complete the squad with the first level of players. We suffered too much. I suffered a lot, but the fans, the club, the board, the players — they suffered too much."
He singled out several individuals for particular praise. "(Radu) Dragusin was top because he didn't play but was always positive inside the dressing room. (Rodrigo) Bentancur — when he came back from injury he came to me to say, 'I want to play, I'm ready.' Joao Palhinha, Ben Davies, Djed Spence — before the Chelsea game he came to my office. He said, 'You always speak about personality, about courage. I'm here.' And he was fantastic, I love it. Micky van de Ven — I consider him the best left-sided centre-back in the Premier League."
On goalkeeper Kinsky: "Before my first game in Sunderland, I thought about making him captain just for one game — to show something very important in football and in life. If one of us is going through a difficult period, we have to stay with him, show love, show everything he needs. But he didn't need it because he has a strong character and a strong personality. He is a great goalkeeper."
He also paid tribute to Guglielmo Vicario, who accepted the decision to be dropped with grace.
"With me, he was fantastic as a person, staying on the bench today with his passion. He accepted my decision with a smile."
On where this ranks among his career achievements: "Brighton, Europa League in Brighton — that was great. Second place in Marseille with a lot of problems — a big achievement. But I think today was maybe one of the best days in football so far."
Next season, he promised something simpler but considerably more demanding: "I would like to compete. I don't know for what. But stop suffering like this."