De Zerbi and Tonali bond over Brescia

[Getty Images] There is a distinctly Brescian feel to N17 of late. While the Italian city's famous old club were effectively declared bankrupt this week, a footballing passion forged at Stadio Mario Rigamonti may be fuelling Tottenham's revival. Roberto de Zerbi, the manager who saved Spurs from relegation last season, was raised on the terraces of Brescia's 'curva' by his father, Alfredo, who was president of the supporters' clubs. De Zerbi says he was "born an ultra". Tottenham's Brescia connection runs through the playing squad too. Sandro Tonali, their new record signing, joined Le Rondinelle aged 12 and made his debut as a 17-year-old, helping Brescia return to Serie A before joining AC Milan in 2020. De Zerbi says he followed the midfielder as he rose through the ranks at his boyhood club, and Tonali told BBC Sport about the bond they share. "Brescia is so small. I had two weeks there and met him two or three times," he said. "We spoke about Brescia, about the difficult situation facing our club." However, Tonali's £100m move threatened to pose a contentious issue in Italy. Amid mounting debt and financial problems, Brescia Calcio, owned by Massimo Cellino, were excluded from professional football by Italian authorities last summer. They were replaced by a new team in Union Brescia, who have taken on the mantle of the city's club and play at the same iconic ground graced by Roberto Baggio and Pep Guardiola, as well as De Zerbi and Tonali. There were reports that Cellino may look to revive Brescia Calcio in some format with the club, having trained Tonali, potentially due a percentage of his transfer fee - about £3.5m - under Fifa's solidarity contribution scheme. But that prospect seems to have died after Brescia Calcio were wound up in a court ruling. Read more on De Zerbi and Tonali's roots here