Antonio Conte Tottenham exit latest: Daniel Levy meeting, press conference rant, squad stance
Antonio Conte has practically confirmed he will leave Tottenham at the end of the season. After a disappointing 3-3 draw with Southampton that saw Spurs lose a two-goal advantage, Conte unleashed a rant on several issues linked to the club.
The Italian’s future in north London seemed in jeopardy after the Champions League defeat by AC Milan, where he openly admitted the club could sack him. Despite a win over Nottingham Forest last weekend, things took a turn for the worse as Conte challenged the mentality of the club, the players and the ownership model.
His 10-minute monologue at St Mary’s Stadium came across as the comments of a man who had spent months building frustration and finally unleashing his anger with the knowledge of his imminent departure.
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So with that said football.london took a look at the latest updates on the Italian’s future in north London.
Daniel Levy meeting
The club, who haven’t won a major trophy under the current ownership for several years, was one of the topics mentioned in Conte’s post-match press conference over the weekend.
Conte said: “Tottenham’s story is this. 20 years have the owner and they’ve never won anything, but why?” Accordingly Daily Mail journalist Sami MokbelDuring Saturday night’s talks, Conte told board members his comments were only aimed at the players and not the hierarchy.
They also report that Daniel Levy has accepted Conte’s version of events and the Italian will therefore remain in his role for the time being.
Press conference in Southampton
The Tottenham manager was asked just four questions by the media after his side’s draw with Southampton, but in those 10 minutes Conte unleashed a torrent of anger, aimed at the club, the owner and the players.
Speaking of the late collapse, Conte said: “They’re used to it here, they’re used to it. They’re not playing for something important, are they? They don’t want to play under pressure, they don’t want to play under stress. It’s easy that way. Tottenham’s story is this: 20 years has the owner and they’ve never won anything, but why?
“The fault lies only with the club or with each manager staying here? I’ve seen the managers Tottenham have had on the bench. They risk disrupting the manager’s figure and protecting the other situation at any moment.”
“Until now I’m trying to hide the situation but now no because I don’t want to see what I saw today because it’s unacceptable and it’s also not acceptable to the fans. You follow us, pay the ticket and see the team another time to have that kind of performance is unacceptable. We have to think a lot about it.
attitude of the players
Tottenham players reckon it’s only a matter of time before Conte departs following his Saturday night press conference tirade, sources say Sky Sports.
Conte grants sack option
Following the Milan defeat, Conte made an intriguing claim on Italian TV that cast further doubts on his position. He said: “My contract runs out in June. We’ll see – maybe they’ll sack me before the end of the season, who knows, maybe they’ll be disappointed.”
Then, when he pressed on his future in his post-game press conference, the Spurs boss reiterated, as he has done on several occasions this season, that he and the club will make a decision at the end of the season. Conte said: “This is not the right day to talk about the future, it’s about my future.
“I have a contract with Tottenham and then Tottenham know very well what I think and at the end of the season we will meet and then we will make a decision.”
Pochettino claim
In April 2020, Pochettino claimed he would like to return to Tottenham one day. Speaking to BT Sport, the Argentine said: “Deep in my chest, my soul, my heart – I’m sure we will cross paths [paths] once again.
“From the day I left the club it’s been my dream to be back and try to finish the work we didn’t finish. We came so close to winning the right trophies that Premier League and the Champions League Maybe five years in, maybe ten years and now I’m going to conspire with the universe and dismiss the idea that before I die I want to manage Tottenham one more time and try to win a title if possible win.
Manager Shortlist
Should Tottenham lose Antonio Conte in the summer, they would need a replacement to take over immediately. The Athletic report that a number of coaches have been mentioned in connection with the job, with Mauricio Pochettino, Thomas Tuchel, Roberto De Zerbi, Marco Silva, Thomas Frank and Steve Cooper all being named.
Conte exit
According to The Times, Conte’s break from Tottenham – during which he had to recover from a gallbladder removal in Italy – has only strengthened his will to return to his home country at the end of his contract.
player change
Tottenham’s squad are said to be expecting Conte’s departure at the end of the season, Athletic report. The players seem tired of the intensity, the training sessions and the current approach within the games.
contract dilemma
Tottenham have a dilemma to solve when it comes to Antonio Conte’s contract. The Italian’s current deal expires in the summer and it seems like there won’t be any significant discussions about continuing the project beyond the next few months.
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