Italian Antonio Conte will not continue in charge of Tottenham “by common agreement” with the entity, announced this Sunday the Premier League club.
The Italian coach, who arrived at the London club in November 2021, leaves Tottenham as the team occupies fourth place in the English Championship, a position that gives access to the next edition of the Champions League, despite having drawn in the last round. 3-3 against Southampton, a result that led Conte to harshly criticize his players and club officials.
“We have 10 Premier League games left and it’s in our hands to fight for a place in the Champions League,” Tottenham chairman David Levy said in a statement.
Club announcement.
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) March 26, 2023
In this fight, the ‘Spurs’ are ahead of Newcastle with only two points of advantage, but the ‘Magpies’ played two games less. “We all have to push together. We all have to step up to secure the best place for our club and our amazing and loyal fans,” added the manager.
Reviews of players and managers
Conte’s situation ended up getting worse after the 3-3 draw with bottom Southampton (after being leading 3-1 with just over 10 minutes left in the game) in the last round before the break for the Fifa Date, a result that led the Italian to harshly criticize his players and club officials.
“The problem is that, once again, we have shown that we are not a team (…) We are 11 players who enter the field. I see individualistic players, I see players who do not want to help the other and who have not put their hearts into the game” , criticized after that match.
He also made clear the London club’s lack of ambition after the transfer market closed in January, when “Spurs” did not reinforce as the Italian wanted.
“It’s difficult for me to talk about fourth place because I’m used to having higher goals,” said the coach, who won titles with Juventus, Chelsea and Internazionale and was signed by “Spurs” to end 15 trophyless years for the London club.
But the truth is, the 16 months the 53-year-old spent at Tottenham were chaotic and tumultuous, underpinning his reputation as a temperamental and explosive manager.
While it is true that the objective of winning the Premier League was certainly out of reach for the “Spurs”, the lack of results in the national cups and, above all, the elimination in the round of 16 of the Champions League against Milan ended up making the coach situation in London.
The British press has ensured in recent weeks that Conte has been greatly affected by his health problems and the recent deaths of Gianluca Vialli and Sinisa Mihailovic, both teammates during his playing days, as well as Gian Piero Ventrone, his longtime fitness coach. .
Conte will be replaced on the bench until the end of the season by his former assistant Cristian Stellini, who recently managed the team when the coach was away after undergoing surgery to remove his gallbladder.
Stellini will be assisted by former player Ryan Mason, who briefly held the role of caretaker coach in 2021.
Conte is the fourth manager to leave Tottenham in just three and a half seasons, after Mauricio Pochetino, José Mourinho and Nuno Espirito Santo. The London club will also have to pay the Italian 4.5 million euros (about R$ 27 million at current prices).
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