Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Sport
David Hytner

De Zerbi hopes Sávio’s fresh start will help Spurs’ much-needed rebrand

Tottenham’s head coach, Roberto De Zerbi, shouts instructions to his team from the technical area at Brentford; Sávio signs for Spurs; the keeper Antonin Kinsky and the defender Jan Paul van Hecke look dejected after conceding their second goal in their 3-0 defeat at Brentford
‘Listen, I lost 3-0 in the first game in the Premier League … do you think for me it’s a problem if Savinho becomes Sávio?’ says Roberto De Zerbi. Composite: Guardian Pictures; Colorsport/Shutterstock; Tottenham Hotspur FC/Shutterstock; Tom Jenkins/The Guardian

What’s in a name? Quite a bit, judging by the discussion at Roberto De Zerbi’s Tottenham press conference on Tuesday, shortly after the club had completed the £75m signing of Savinho from Manchester City and the Brazil winger had let everybody know that he wanted to be called Sávio from now on. He will have that name on his Spurs shirt above his No 17, which he has taken over from Cristian Romero, the former captain who has moved to Atlético Madrid.

The 22-year-old went by Sávio at various times before his two seasons at City but there was nonetheless speculation about the reasons for the reversion. Savinho translates roughly from the Portuguese as “little Sávio”. Was it him saying that he was now an older and more mature player?

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.