Guglielmo Vicario praises De Zerbi after Tottenham departure for Juventus loan

Former Tottenham goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario has thanked manager Roberto De Zerbi for backing his move to Juventus, saying the Spurs boss was “a man of his word” during the transfer.

Vicario left Tottenham on loan for the Italian club during the recently completed transfer window. Juventus have an £8.5m option to make the move permanent.

The Italy international has made three appearances for Juventus so far, recording clean sheets in his first two matches against Frosinone and Parma, both of which ended in victory.

Vicario said De Zerbi supported his decision to return to his native Italy, despite his concerns about the situation at Tottenham.

Speaking to Sky Sports Italia, he said of his relationship with De Zerbi: “Fantastic, from the first day.

“I thank him, I did it personally the day I signed with Juventus. With me he was a real person, direct and above all a man of his word.

“He gave me the opportunity to take this step that I had in mind, he supported me and I will always be grateful to him.”

Vicario also referred to tensions within Tottenham, suggesting that some aspects of the club were not working in harmony.

“There have been some dynamics that have not aligned, probably for several reasons that make no sense to mention now.”

Tottenham finished 17th in the Premier League in each of the past two seasons, and a major squad reshaping followed in the transfer window.

Eight players were sold, seven left on loan and two departed when their contracts expired. Among the senior players to move on were Cristian Romero, Djed Spence and Vicario.

Romero completed a permanent transfer to Atletico Madrid, while Spence joined Inter Milan on a permanent deal. Vicario was the only one of the three to leave on loan, with Juventus retaining the option to sign him outright.

The goalkeeper’s departure came after a difficult end to last season. He did not play in any of the final seven matches overseen by De Zerbi, with Antonin Kinsky selected instead during Tottenham’s battle to remain in the Premier League.

Kinsky has continued as Tottenham’s first-choice goalkeeper this season. The Czech Republic goalkeeper has played the full 90 minutes in all four of the club’s matches.

Tottenham brought in Martin Dubravka as back-up after it became clear Vicario would be leaving. However, the former Newcastle and Burnley goalkeeper has not yet featured, including in the League Cup.

Dubravka has previously won that competition with both Manchester United and Newcastle, but remains unused by Tottenham so far this season.

Vicario’s positive start in Turin contrasts with his reduced role in north London and has allowed him to begin the next stage of his career in Italy, with his future at Juventus set to depend on whether the club activates its £8.5m purchase option.