According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, De Zerbi has been given influence over squad building, player recruitment and long-term direction — a setup the paper likens to the all-encompassing role Sir Alex Ferguson held at Manchester United for more than two decades.
That kind of power has largely vanished from the modern game. Pep Guardiola operates within a defined hierarchy at Manchester City. Mikel Arteta has more influence than most at Arsenal, but still within limits. Spurs appear willing to go further than either.
De Zerbi arrived as the club's third manager of a chaotic season, succeeding Igor Tudor, whose 44-day tenure produced one point from five league games and ended with a 3-0 home defeat to Nottingham Forest. Tottenham had not won a league game since December when he walked through the door.
He had been sporting director Johan Lange's primary target for the summer. De Zerbi's reluctance to rush back into management after leaving Marseille in February had forced Spurs to look elsewhere — Tudor was the result. Once De Zerbi was ready, Tottenham moved and got their man.
What swung it, per La Gazzetta, was the club's willingness to fully align with his vision. Not just tactically, but structurally. De Zerbi wanted a say beyond the dressing room, and Spurs gave it to him.
He has since made clear he will remain at the club next season regardless of what division they are playing in. Seven games remain to settle that question. The bigger project, it seems, starts either way.