Antonio Conte: How 16 volatile months at Tottenham unravelled

1 year ago 38

Antonio Conte arrived astatine Tottenham successful November 2021, pursuing the sacking of Nuno Espirito Santo

Antonio Conte's tempestuous Tottenham tenure has travel to an extremity aft a predictability volatile 16 months successful charge, but with nary of the silverware the nine gambled connected erstwhile appointing the Italian.

Taking a occupation successful November 2021 which helium had initially turned down successful the summer, Conte delivered Spurs Champions League shot and was backed successful the transportation marketplace - albeit not to the grade helium would person liked.

But helium failed successful cupful competitions and, disconnected the field, suffered the tragic nonaccomplishment of 3 adjacent friends, arsenic good having to acquisition gallbladder country himself.

The 53-year-old's narration with the nine past moved beyond repair erstwhile helium delivered a singular tirade pursuing the gully astatine Southampton, successful which helium branded his players "selfish" and criticised the club's civilization implicit the past 20 years.

Here's however Conte's abbreviated but stormy enactment successful northbound London unravelled.

Tottenham get their man

Conte arrives astatine Tottenham connected 2 November 2021 arsenic a serial winner, but lone aft initially spurning a determination to northbound London successful the summertime erstwhile talks broke down astir becoming Jose Mourinho's successor.

Instead, Conte replaces Nuno Espirito Santo and proclaims helium is blessed to beryllium backmost coaching with a "Premier League nine that has the ambition to beryllium a protagonist again".

Having penned an 18-month contract, the Conte epoch begins with a 3-2 Europa Conference League triumph implicit Vitesse, earlier a goalless gully astatine Everton and a archetypal Premier League triumph arsenic Spurs brag implicit Leeds United.

But erstwhile his broadside endure an embarrassing decision by Slovenian broadside NS Mura successful Europe, Conte delivers a telling appraisal successful which helium says determination arsenic "an important gap" betwixt Spurs and the apical teams, his side's level is "not truthful high" and helium is not a "magician".

Conte questions Spurs future

Conte's monologue has the desired effect arsenic his squad spell unbeaten for the remainder of the twelvemonth and look successful decent signifier until a travel to Stamford Bridge for the Carabao Cup semi-final archetypal leg.

Spurs limp to a 2-0 decision causing Conte to emphasise the spread betwixt the teams, efficaciously calling Tottenham a mid-table nine and asking for patience.

Spurs besides suffer the 2nd limb but support Conte's unbeaten commencement successful the Premier League with an unthinkable comeback astatine Leicester, arsenic Steven Bergwijn scores successful the 95th and 97th infinitesimal to unafraid a 3-2 win.

That undefeated streak comes to an abrupt extremity with different nonaccomplishment to Chelsea the pursuing week that sparks a three-game losing tally successful the league - the archetypal clip Conte has mislaid 3 league games successful a enactment since his days managing Atalanta successful 2009.

But the Italian responds by masterminding different melodramatic 3-2 triumph astatine Manchester City, this clip acknowledgment to Harry Kane's 95th-minute winner.

Spurs caput to Burnley 4 days aboriginal seemingly afloat of assurance lone to endure a 1-0 decision that leads a frustrated Conte to question his future: "I came present to assistance the nine and if the occupation could beryllium the manager I'm acceptable to go, nary problem."

Burnley 1-0 Tottenham: 'If the occupation is the manager I’m acceptable to go' - Conte

Top-four conflict goes to the wire

Conte claims his outburst was strategical and Spurs, contempt losing to Middlesbrough successful the FA Cup, deed goalscoring signifier successful the Premier League - putting 4 past Leeds and Aston Villa and scoring 5 against some Everton and Newcastle.

A blip successful April puts Arsenal successful rod presumption for 4th spot, but Spurs bushed their northbound London rivals 3-0 during the run-in and, aft Mikel Arteta suggests Conte's broadside could inactive suffer astatine Norwich connected the last day, Tottenham nutrient an emphatic 5-0 triumph to seal a Champions League place.

Conte says the accomplishment is arsenic bully arsenic winning a trophy and appears committed to the club.

Tottenham's owners denote a £150m investment, with Richarlison, Yves Bissouma, Ivan Perisic, Djed Spence, Clement Lenglet and Fraser Forster each joining successful the summer.

Norwich 0-5 Tottenham Hotspur: Top 4 decorativeness tougher than rubric astatine Inter Milan - Conte

A traumatic fewer months for Conte

Tottenham statesman the caller play with a 4-1 triumph against Southampton and combat backmost to gully 2-2 astatine Chelsea aft Kane's 96th-minute equaliser - their brag shows his passionateness connected the touchline and a fiery handshake leads to a bust-up with Thomas Tuchel that ends with them some being dismissed.

Spurs' unbeaten commencement is tempered by decision astatine Sporting Lisbon successful the Champions League and past wiped retired by a 3-1 nonaccomplishment to Arsenal, arsenic Conte continually refuses to code his future.

The Italian past suffers the nonaccomplishment of 3 adjacent friends successful 4 months. First, Spurs mourn the decease of fittingness manager Gian Piero Ventrone successful October pursuing an illness, portion Conte besides loses erstwhile team-mates Sinisa Mihajlovic and Gianluca Vialli to leukaemia and pancreatic crab respectively.

In February, aft an FA Cup triumph astatine Preston, Conte feels unwell and has to person his gallbladder removed successful exigency country successful Italy.

Spurs bushed Manchester City successful his lack but endure a 4-1 decision astatine Leicester connected his return, past suffer 1-0 successful their Champions League last-16 archetypal limb astatine AC Milan, with Conte advised to enactment successful Italy to walk much clip recovering.

Beware the ides of March...

'I spot selfish players' - Conte furious aft what proves to beryllium his last crippled with Spurs

Spurs statesman the period 4th successful the league and, contempt playing progressively antagonistic football, person hopes of progressing successful the Champions League and FA Cup.

Conte, recovering successful Italy, watches connected arsenic his much-changed broadside limp retired of the second successful a 1-0 decision by Championship outfit Sheffield United that proves a turning constituent for galore fans.

A week later, Conte is backmost successful the dugout arsenic Tottenham gully 0-0 against AC Milan connected the backmost of different uninspiring show to exit the Champions League, with Conte suggesting to Italian media helium could beryllium sacked earlier the extremity of the season.

Spurs bushed Nottingham Forest 3-1 astatine location but past surrender a 3-1 pb to gully astatine Southampton, sparking a furious and affectional 10-minute rant from the manager successful which helium calls his players "selfish" and says they "play for themselves", portion besides questioning the club's mentality.

It is simply a tirade that splits opinion, with immoderate insisting the Italian is lone telling the truth, but it proves to beryllium a constituent of nary instrumentality for Conte astatine the nine arsenic connected 26 March his turbulent spell astatine Tottenham is brought to an end.

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