Antonio Conte has finally spoken out about his Tottenham Hotspur exit, after Daniel Levy and co took the decision to sack the Italian more than two months ago.
Conte initially made a positive start to life at Spurs, taking the club from mid-table to a Champions League finish after replacing Nuno Espirito Santo at the helm.
(Photo by ISABEL INFANTES/AFP via Getty Images)
He also oversaw some positive transfers in North London, including Dejan Kulusevski, Rodrigo Bentancur, and Pedro Porro. However, Conte didn’t make it as far as his second summer window.
After a troubling run of form following the World Cup restart, Conte was relieved of his duties despite Spurs still being in a race for the top four at the time.
His assistant, Cristian Stellini was put in charge, before even he was sacked and Ryan Mason was handed the reins until the end of the campaign.
Conte claims some at Spurs wanted to settle for less
Speaking out on his Spurs exit, Conte has now implied that some within Tottenham were not willing to be ambitious – although he doesn’t clarify whether this was the board, the players, or both.
He said (Football Italia): “The last experience, like all of them really, had some things that were positive and some less so. The experience was wonderful, we did the maximum possible and gave all that we had.
“When I arrived, the team was in eighth or ninth place, yet we qualified for the Champions League.
“Then this season, with the side in fourth position, I decided we should part ways with Tottenham. Some had decided to settle for less.”
Spurs Web Opinion:
A lot of what Conte is saying is probably true, but he is also trying to control the narrative a little. The players and the hierarchy were to blame, but Conte also has to take some responsibility for the kind of football he was playing in North London.
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