{
  "id": 17299202,
  "title": "‘Two weeks ago, he was a disaster signing’ – De Zerbi responds to recent Fernandes praise",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/30/two-weeks-ago-he-was-a-disaster-signing-de-zerbi-responds-to-recent",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-30T22:30:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/two-weeks-ago-disaster-signing-223000670.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Mateus Fernandes received praise after impressing in Tottenham's recent win over Chelsea, drawing comparisons to former Tottenham star Luka Modric. However, De Zerbi, the team's manager, was quick to correct the narrative, stating that the world moves too quickly and that Fernandes was previously labeled as a \"disaster signing\" just two weeks prior. De Zerbi advised Fernandes to ignore media opinions and focus on his own performance. De Zerbi reiterated that Fernandes' potential remained unchanged, emphasizing that he was a valuable signing for Tottenham, having the capability to become one of Europe's top midfielders.",
  "summary": "Roberto De Zerbi has backed Mateus Fernandes to become one of the best midfielders in Europe but hit back at the rapidly changing narrative surrounding the Tottenham midfielder.Fernandes impressed in ...",
  "key_points": [
    "Mateus Fernandes praised for Chelsea win, compared to Luka Modric.",
    "De Zerbi refutes Fernandes was a \"disaster signing\" two weeks ago.",
    "Manager urges Fernandes to focus on performance, not media opinions."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}