Antonio Conte: How 16 volatile months at Tottenham unravelled

Antonio Conte’s tempestuous tenure at Tottenham has come to an end after a predictable 16 months at the helm but without the silverware the club had banked on when appointing the Italian.

Conte took a job he initially turned down in the summer in November 2021, delivering Spurs Champions League football and being backed in the transfer market – albeit not to the extent he would have liked.

But he failed in cup competitions and suffered the tragic loss of three close friends off the field and had to undergo gallbladder surgery himself.

The 53-year-old’s relationship with the club was then irreparable when he delivered a notable tirade after the Southampton draw, branding his players ‘selfish’ and criticizing the club’s culture over the past 20 years.

Such was Conte’s short but turbulent stay in north London.

Conte joins Tottenham as a series winner on November 2, 2021, but only after initially spurning a move to north London in the summer when talks to replace Jose Mourinho collapsed.

Instead, Conte Nuno replaces Espirito Santo and announces he’s happy to be back coaching at a “Premier League club that has ambitions to be a protagonist again”.

After completing an 18-month contract, the Conte era begins with a 3-2 Europa Conference League win over Vitesse before a goalless draw at Everton and a first Premier League win as Spurs boss against Leeds United.

But as his side suffer an embarrassing defeat at the hands of Slovenian side NS Mura in Europe, Conte gives a revealing assessment, saying there is an “important gap” between Spurs and the top teams, the level of his side” not that high” and he is not a “magician”.

Conte’s monologue has the desired effect as his side remain unbeaten for the rest of the year and appear in decent form before they come to Stamford Bridge in the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-finals.

Spurs are limping to a 2-0 loss, prompting Conte to stress the rift between the teams, effectively labeling Tottenham a midfield club and pleading for patience.

Spurs also lose the second leg but retain Conte’s unbeaten start in the Premier League with an incredible comeback at Leicester as Steven Bergwijn scored in the 95th and 97th minutes to secure a 3-2 win.

That unbeaten streak ends abruptly with another loss to Chelsea the following week, sparking a three-legged streak in the league – the first time Conte has lost three straight league games since he was manager of Atalanta in 2009.

But the Italian responded with another dramatic 3-2 win at Manchester City, this time courtesy of Harry Kane’s 95th-minute winner.

Spurs travel to Burnley four days later seemingly full of confidence only to suffer a 1-0 defeat which has a frustrated Conte questioning his future: ‘I came here to help the club, and if the problem could be the coach, I’m ready to go, no problem.”

Conte claims his outburst was strategic and Spurs have reached goalscoring form in the Premier League despite losing to Middlesbrough in the FA Cup – he’s passed four past Leeds and Aston Villa and scored five goals against both Everton and Newcastle.

A slip in April puts Arsenal on pole for fourth place, but Spurs beat their north London rivals 3-0 in run-in and after Mikel Arteta hinted Conte’s side could still lose at Norwich on the final day , shows Tottenham an emphatic 5-0 win for a Champions League spot.

Conte says the performance is as good as winning a trophy and seems committed to the club.

Tottenham owners announce a £150million investment with Richarlison, Yves Bissouma, Ivan Perisic, Djed Spence, Clement Lenglet and Fraser Forster to join in the summer.

Tottenham start the new season with a 4-1 win over Southampton and bounce back to a 2-2 draw with Chelsea after Kane’s 96th-minute equalizer – their boss showing passion on the touchline and a fiery handshake leading to a bankruptcy with Thomas Tuchel, which ends with the dismissal of both.

Spurs’ unbeaten start is tempered by defeat at Sporting Lisbon in the Champions League and then nullified by a 3-1 loss to Arsenal as Conte consistently refuses to look into his future.

The Italian then suffers the loss of three close friends in the space of four months. First, Spurs mourn the death of fitness coach Gian Piero Ventrone from illness in October, while Conte also loses his former teammates Sinisa Mihajlovic and Gianluca Vialli to leukemia and pancreatic cancer respectively.

In February, after an FA Cup win in Preston, Conte was unwell and had to have his gallbladder removed in an emergency operation in Italy.

Spurs beat Manchester City in his absence but suffered a 4-1 defeat at Leicester on his return and then lost 1-0 at AC Milan in the Champions League round of 16 first leg. Conte advised staying in Italy to find out more time to recover .

Spurs start the month fourth in the league and hope to progress through the Champions League and FA Cup despite increasingly negative football.

Conte, recovering in Italy, watches as his vastly changed squad limps out of the latter in a 1-0 defeat at the hands of league side Sheffield United in what will be a turning point for many fans.

A week later, Conte is back in the dugout as Tottenham drew 0-0 to exit the Champions League after another uninspiring performance against AC Milan. Conte suggested to the Italian media that he would be sacked before the end of the season.

Spurs beat Nottingham Forest 3-1 at home but then gave up a 3-1 lead to earn a draw at Southampton, sparking an angry and emotional 10-minute rant from the manager, in which he dubbed his players ” selfish” and says they are “playing for themselves”. “, but also questions the mentality of the club.

It’s a tirade that’s dividing opinions, with some insisting the Italian is only telling the truth, but it’s proving a point of no return for Conte at the club as his tumultuous time at Tottenham on March 26 comes to an end.