Antonio Conte exit LIVE! Latest Tottenham updates with Julian Nagelsmann and Mauricio Pochettino linked

Enrique back to club football?

Luis Enrique is unemployed after being sacked after the World Cup and the former Spain manager is believed to be open to a job in England. Enrique won the treble with Barcelona and was named by Lionel Messi along with Pep Guardiola as the best boss he has worked with.

A proponent of tiki-taka, his teams love to get to the ball and he’s a big advocate of youth, both of which would suit Spurs. He’s also a big name that should please Levy and Harry Kane.

But the 52-year-old hasn’t worked for a club since 2017, so the question is whether his methods at home football remain up to date. And he only lasted one season at each of his other club jobs, Roma and Celta Vigo.

Risks with De Zerbi

If Spurs want the next Pochettino and want to start from scratch with a young project coach then they should look no further than Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi.

The 43-year-old has taken the Seagulls to a new level since replacing Graham Potter by playing a refreshing brand of attacking, pressure-resistant football. He is a charismatic and assertive character who should quickly win over in the dressing room.

But there are risks in taking managers out of Brighton’s meticulous structure (just ask Chelsea) and Levy would certainly be more comfortable with De Zerbi having another year in the Premier League under his belt. But wait too long and Spurs could miss their chance.

With Brighton pushing for a place in the top four and preparing for an FA Cup semi-final, Spurs would have to wait until the summer to try De Zerbi.

Pochettino the popular choice

Mauricio Pochettino is the clear choice of the fans and keen to return to the club where he spent five and a half exciting seasons. A free agent following his sacking by Paris Saint-Germain, Pochettino ticks many of the right criteria for Spurs: progressive football, a history of youth development and a big name to match.

But they say you should never return to football and the 51-year-old would return to another club as a different manager.

A reunion would require Levy to swallow his pride and manager Fabio Paratici will likely need to be sidelined as he feels there is no place for him and Pochettino at Spurs.

Everything got very sour…

Conte’s departure always seemed inevitable following that tirade following Tottenham’s 3-3 draw with Southampton in what has proved to be his last game in charge.

The Italian labeled his players ‘selfish’ and lashed out at the club’s culture as a whole.

Real problem for Spurs?

Real Madrid’s own manager search could prove frustrating for Tottenham this summer.

Carlo Ancelotti is expected to leave the club to likely take over Brazil and the likes of Mauricio Pochettini and Julian Nagelsmann will certainly be on Real’s reserve list.

Levy may have been tempted to achieve one of his big mid-season goals, but instead it will be a summer fight.

Nagelsmann is the market leader

Cristian Stellini and Ryan Mason until the end of the season, but who will take the helm in August?

Here are some updated odds on who will be Tottenham boss for next season’s first Premier League game.

Julian Nagelsmann 15/8

Mauricio Pochettino 3/1

Oliver Glaser 5/1

Luis Enrique 9/1

Zinedine Zidane 11/1

Thomas Frank, 1.12

Reuben Amorim 14/1

Roberto De Zerbi 14/1

Tension between Levy and Conte clear

Daniel Levy was fairly brief in his mention of Antonio Conte in last night’s statement, simply thanking the Italian for his contribution to the club and wishing him well.

Compare that to the news when Jose Mourinho was sacked as Spurs boss – in fairness the tone was very different.

“Jose and his coaching staff have been with us through some of our most challenging times as a club,” Levy said at the time. “Jose is a true professional who has shown tremendous resilience during the pandemic.

“On a personal level, I enjoyed working with him and I regret that things didn’t go the way we both envisioned.

“He will always be welcome here and we want to thank him and his coaching staff for their contribution.”

Analysis by Dan Kilpatrick

It’s an unprecedented situation for the longtime No. 2 manager to continue after his departure. Exciting to see whether Cristian Stellini sticks to Antonio Conte’s approach or goes his own way.

Martin Jol was very different. He was a manager in his own right, brought to the club to support Jaques Santini, who he had never worked with before.

Stellini has made it clear he is Conte’s man, also assisting him at Inter and Juve.

Troubled marriage turns ugly

Antonio Conte’s season at Tottenham unfolded in a familiar series of stages, writes Dan Kilpatrick.

Just like at Juventus, Chelsea and Inter Milan, Conte demonstrated his brilliance as a coach in an initial period of success before increasing his demands and frustration with a perceived lack of support and inability to keep up at the top.

He eventually went into bitterness after attacking his players and purser. Conte’s position felt utterly untenable after he set fire to his relationship with the squad in a furious outburst, with the only surprise being that it took the club over a week to confirm his departure.

The difference between Spurs and Conte’s previous clubs is that his initial ‘success’ was not at all what he thought of as success – merely a place in the top four – and his boom-and-bust cycle unraveled faster than usual – both points reflect that Conte and the club were a terrible fit from the start.

The 53-year-old simply isn’t suited to the patient building now essential for any non-government-backed Premier League club and particularly Tottenham, who operate under the tight financial controls of chairman Daniel Levy, with no recent track record and never really committed to a fundamental reconstruction after Mauricio Pochettino.

Read the whole story here!

It is interesting to note that despite all the bad blood, Antonio Conte is leaving Tottenham, with only Mauricio Pochettino having recorded a better points-per-game ratio in the Premier League club’s history.

He’s ahead of the likes of Harry Redknapp, Andre Villas-Boas and predecessor Jose Mourinho…