March 27, (THEWILL) – Tottenham Hotspur have announced the departure of Antonio Conte, the manager of the north London-based club, by mutual agreement.
The exit of the Italian came one week after he criticised the club and players during an outburst following a draw with rock-bottom Southampton. His departure was confirmed by Spurs on Sunday, with Cristian Stellini taking over until the end of the season.
Conte’s comments, in which he referred to his players as “selfish” and questioned Tottenham’s lack of success under chairman Daniel Levy’s leadership, were reportedly clarified with the club’s management as directed at the players rather than the club’s administration. However, it appears that his position had become untenable.
A statement from Spurs read: “We can announce that head coach Antonio Conte has left the club by mutual agreement. We achieved Champions League qualification in Antonio’s first season at the club. We thank Antonio for his contribution and wish him well in the future. Cristian Stellini will take the team as acting head coach for the remainder of the season, along with Ryan Mason as assistant head coach.”
Although Conte leaves the team in fourth place in the EPL, their spot in the UCL qualification race is not guaranteed. Spurs fans have long been frustrated with the team’s playing style, and recent results have only intensified the tension. Several names, including former coach Mauricio Pochettino and sacked Bayern Munich boss Julian Nagelsmann, have been mentioned as potential successors to Conte.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
