
No. 2 scorer Stojakovic returns to loaded Illinois
Andrej Stojakovic is back at Illinois for his senior year, boosting their title hopes!

Roberto De Zerbi stated that his future at Tottenham hinges on his relationship with the board, not on the team's relegation status. Despite Spurs' current position in the bottom three, he remains committed to the club.
Mentioned in this story
Roberto De Zerbi says everyone at Tottenham must be on the same page if he is to stay next season - irrespective of relegation.
The Italian promised he would be "the coach of Tottenham next season no matter what" in his first interview after signing a five-year contract with uncertainty around his commitment if Spurs were relegated.
After De Zerbi suffered defeat in his first game, a 1-0 loss at Sunderland, Spurs sit in the bottom three, two points from safety with six games to go, and are the Premier League's only side yet to win in 2026.
De Zerbi reassured Spurs fans in an exclusive with Sky Sports that going down to the Championship will not decide his future.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

FREE TO WATCH: Highlights from Tottenham's defeat to Sunderland
Roberto De Zerbi indicated that his future at Tottenham depends on his relationship with the board rather than the team's relegation.
Tottenham is currently in the bottom three of the Premier League and has not won any matches in 2026.
De Zerbi promised to be the coach of Tottenham next season regardless of whether the team is relegated.
Tottenham has six games remaining to secure their position and avoid relegation.

Andrej Stojakovic is back at Illinois for his senior year, boosting their title hopes!

LaMelo Ball relieved Bam Adebayo's injury isn't serious after tripping him in game.

Get ready for $150 train fares from NYC to MetLife Stadium for World Cup matches!

Texans and Will Anderson Jr. agree to historic $150M extension!
Are the Red Sox putting too much pressure on Roman Anthony?
Exploring Trey Kaufman-Renn's Unique Journey at Purdue Basketball
See every story in Sports — including breaking news and analysis.
"The problem is not the league. The problem is to keep the relationship with the board and to have the same ideas in the project," De Zerbi said ahead of Saturday's game against his former club Brighton, live on Sky Sports.
Asked to clarify that the division Spurs does not matter, simply that everyone is on the same page, De Zerbi added: "Yes. Everyone on the same page."
[
Follow Sky Sports on WhatsApp
Follow Sky Sports on WhatsApp for the latest sports news, videos, features, analysis and much more](https://qrcode.skysports.com/whatsapp/FollowSkySportsWhatsAppWidget)
Sky Sports News reporter Michael Bridge:
From sitting down with Roberto De Zerbi it is clear how ambitious he is and the conviction he has that Spurs will be back in the Premier League's top six next season if they can avoid relegation.
But, of course, with six games to go that is a very big 'if'. Spurs are the only side in the Premier League yet to win a game in 2026. A coach of his stature managing in the Championship?
I put the question to him of whether he could guarantee he would be at Spurs next season, even if they are relegated. For De Zerbi, everyone at Spurs being aligned and his relationship with the board – not the division the team are playing in – are most important to him.
That is a principle De Zerbi brings to every club he coaches. You could see that at Marseille and Brighton. He can only operate when giving 100 per cent to his club and this was his way of saying he needs to get that back from Spurs.
The summer's transfer window will be a key test of that, with a huge rebuild required whatever happens in the final weeks of the season. De Zerbi will want to feel supported whether that is spending big on a player for promotion or to qualify for Europe.
De Zerbi is confident that if Spurs do stay up that they will be fighting among the Premier League's elite next season for one of those top six positions. He has no doubt about the potential of this club - but it comes back to that big 'if' once again. Can he keep them up?
Defeat in De Zerbi's first game in charge against Sunderland has left Spurs sat two points from safety with six Premier League games left to go ahead of his first home game against former club Brighton.
The 1-0 loss was also coupled with an injury to captain Cristian Romero, who will now miss the remainder of the campaign in a further blow to De Zerbi's side.
A victory against the Seagulls will take Spurs out of the relegation zone, at least momentarily before West Ham take on Crystal Palace on Monday. In a bid to unite the group, De Zerbi took the squad out for a dinner as he admits he has to focus more on getting to know the players rather than trying to figure out why things have gone so wrong.
"I have to get to know my players better and better every week," he said during his pre-match press conference on Friday.

Image: De Zerbi has called for more personality from his Spurs squad in their relegation fight
"We have no time to lose. We have no time to understand the problems we have this season. We have to be focused just on the next game. Transfer confidence.
"I can bring my philosophy of football. But also working to create a good atmosphere, a good relationship with the players. In this moment of football, the qualities of the players are important. But the spirit, the relationship between the players is too.
"We have to feel everyone's responsibility in this situation. And we can't cry. We have to push to get out of this situation.
"We need players with personality and character. Otherwise they don't play with me."
With captain Romero now out for the season, it leaves an already young and fragile Spurs squad with one less commanding presence on the pitch.
While De Zerbi admitted he had bigger problems to deal with than deciding who will take the armband for the remaining six games, he believes that several players in his squad can step up and become leaders in different ways.


Saturday 18th April 5:00pm
Kick off 5:30pm
"There are a lot of different types of leader," he added.
"A leader who talks inside of the dressing room. A leader with the ball. A leader in tough moments. A leader because he helps his team-mates. To be a stronger team we need many of those.
"I would like Micky van de Ven to reach this level. [Rodrigo] Bentancur is a leader. Palhinha is another.
"I would like to push with [Dominc] Solanke because he is one of the best strikers in the Premier League. I want him to become stronger as a personality and a character on the pitch. Xavi Simons is very young, but is a leader on the ball because he has personality. He has the right character to receive the ball when the ball is hot. But we need characters and personalities."
Monterosa
This content is provided by Monterosa, which may be using cookies and other technologies. To show you this content, we need your permission to use cookies. You can use the buttons below to amend your preferences to enable Monterosa cookies or to allow those cookies just once. You can change your settings at any time via the Privacy Options.
Unfortunately we have been unable to verify if you have consented to Monterosa cookies. To view this content you can use the button below to allow Monterosa cookies for this session only.
Analysis from Callum Bishop:
It is often said that when you have a squad full of young talent, you need experienced heads to help drag them through testing moments. But, where is that experience for Tottenham?
With Romero out until the end of the season, De Zerbi has one less leader to rely on when he sends his team out onto the pitch. James Maddison can't help. There's no timeframe on Dejan Kulusevski's return. Not even Ben Davies can come in and provide any calmness in this pressure cooker.
Even if they were available to help on the pitch, it may not be enough. Even with the injured players included, Spurs have the third-youngest squad in the Premier League this season.
Datawrapper
This content is provided by Datawrapper, which may be using cookies and other technologies. To show you this content, we need your permission to use cookies. You can use the buttons below to amend your preferences to enable Datawrapper cookies or to allow those cookies just once. You can change your settings at any time via the Privacy Options.
Unfortunately we have been unable to verify if you have consented to Datawrapper cookies. To view this content you can use the button below to allow Datawrapper cookies for this session only.
That means that players who have not felt the responsibility of fighting for survival are being asked to step up and show leadership that can drag their side away from a worst-case scenario.
Someone like Solanke would be a natural figure to point to. He's been there with Bournemouth before. Yet, De Zerbi's comments make it sound like the striker isn't that type of personality. The fact he references Xavi Simons, a player who though technically brilliant has struggled to adapt to English football, is a worry.
All that certain is that in the next six games, someone needs to take the bull by the horns. Or, the Seagulls by the wings on Saturday, and prove they are the man that De Zerbi can turn to over the course of the run-in.
Watch Tottenham vs Brighton live on Saturday Night Football from 5pm, live on Sky Sports Main Event.
[
Play Super 6!
Play Super 6 for a chance to win £250k! Enter for free.](https://super6.skysports.com/)