Antonio Conte Leaves Tottenham Over Frosty Relations

• Cristian Stellini in charge till season-ending
• “We all need to pull together” – Club chair, Daniel Levy

Finally, Manager Antonio Conte’s well-advertised departure from Tottenham Hotspur was confirmed on Sunday night, with the club announcing that by “mutual agreement” both sides were parting ways for the overall good of the London-based outfit.

The development is coming after a week of behind-the-scenes turbulence and stony public silence, even as Conte’s long-time assistant, Cristian Stellini, will now act as head coach for the remainder of the season, with Ryan Mason as his assistant.

Aside from attention turning to the Premiership resumption after the international break, the ‘The Lilywhites’ focus would obviously turn towards the identity of their next permanent manager, with sacked Bayern Munich’s coach, Julian Nagelsmann, already mentioned on the club’s wish list.

Spurs had initially sought for Nagelsmann in 2021 after they dismissed José Mourinho but he was set on going to Bayern. But for now, reports indicate the Londoners have interest in a host of managers, including Luis Enrique, Roberto De Zerbi, Rúben Amorim, and Vincent Kompany.

It was also gathered that even Mauricio Pochettino, the last manager to complete a full season at Spurs in the 2018-19 season, would be a popular choice among fans but it is unclear if he or the club would seek to consummate the reunion.

Conte tore into his players after the 3-3 draw at Southampton on the Saturday before last, labelling them ‘selfish’ and blaming them for the club’s trophy drought. He had been widely expected to leave when his contract expired at the end of the season. But after the outburst, it was understood that most of the players were happy for him to leave right away – a fact not lost on the Club Chairman, Daniel Levy.

The Spurs’ statement posted on their website at about 10.20 pm to announce Conte’s departure, “thank him for his contribution and wish him well for the future.”

On his part, the Club’s Chairman Levy urged everyone to “pull together” over the remaining 10 league games in the fight for a Champions League finish. Currently, Spurs are fourth on the table and two points ahead of Newcastle, who have two games in hand. – With The Guardian reports