'It's unacceptable!' - Micky van de Ven vents fury over Tottenham's 'embarrassing' season after narrow relegation escape

Tottenham secured their top-flight status on the final day of the season following a crucial 1-0 victory against Everton. The great escape was masterminded by De Zerbi, who saved the club from relegation after taking over a sinking ship. Spurs had only won seven matches from their first 31 fixtures. However, the Italian manager recorded three wins, two draws, and two defeats in his first seven games in charge to keep them up. Speaking to BBC's Match of the Day, Van de Ven, who was captaining the side in the absence of injured skipper Cristian Romero, did not hold back his anger regarding the situation.

Van de Ven stated: "It is unacceptable that the last game we played this season we play for relegation. This club has some unbelievable players. It was embarrassing to let it come to the final day, but we did it, and that is what is important."

He added: "To be honest, I was more emotional at the end of the final whistle. It has been a tough season for me personally as well. I played almost every game, and I have suffered a lot. The emotions are really happy, and we must not let it happen again."

Match-winner Joao Palhinha also shared his thoughts following a tumultuous campaign. The Portuguese midfielder reacted quickest to slot home a rebound off the post right before half-time. Palhinha highlighted the resilience shown by his team-mates under De Zerbi's leadership. Speaking to Sky Sports, he explained: "A lot of things happened this season but we showed today what we can do. After a bad season like this one, we showed up as a collective and had amazing support from the fans."

De Zerbi will hope to build his team around key figures like Van de Ven, whose contract expires on June 30, 2029. Despite collective struggles, the defender enjoyed a strong individual campaign, playing 45 matches across all competitions, including the Champions League. He registered seven goals and one assist in 3,943 minutes of action. The club will aim to overhaul the squad and ensure they never repeat this disastrous campaign.