Conte’s job in the balance after incredible post-match rant about the ‘Tottenham way’

PREMIER LEAGUE Conte’s job in the balance after incredible post-match rant about the ‘Tottenham way’

Ayoola Kelechi 21:47 - 18.03.2023

Antonio Conte called out Tottenham's players and owner after a demoralising draw against Southampton

Tottenham manager Antonio Conte has put his job further at risk as he blew his gasket in an unbelievable 10-minute rant where he called out the behaviour of his players and the incompetence of the Spurs’ board. 

Conte attacks players and team culture after Southampton draw

Conte was furious after watching his Tottenham side throw away a two-goal lead at the death to draw against bottom-of-the-table Southampton thanks to a 93rd-minute James Ward-Prowse penalty. 

Conte gave a no-holds-barred post-match press conference in which he tore into his players, calling them selfish and branding the team’s attitude as unacceptable in light of the two points dropped at Saint Mary’s Stadium. 

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Speaking after the game, Conte said, "We are 11 players that go into the pitch. I see selfish players, I see players that don't want to help each other and don't put their heart [in].” 

The Italian manager then bizarrely ripped into the club itself, saying the player could only behave the way they did because they played for Tottenham, where expectations are low. 

When asked for a possible reason for his players' poor attitude, Conte said, "Because they are used to it here, they are used to it. 

“They don't play for something important, yeah. They don't want to play under pressure, they don't want to play under stress. 

“It is easy in this way. Tottenham's story is this.” 

Conte attacks Daniel Levy for management of Tottenham

Deciding to go the whole nine miles since he had crossed the point of no return, Conte then attacked the Tottenham management, asking why Tottenham had not won a major trophy (Tottenham won the EFL Cup in 2008) since Daniel Levy took over the club in 2001. 

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He appeared to ask Levy to take some responsibility for the club’s misfortune saying, "Twenty years there is the owner and they never won something but why? The fault is only for the club, or for every manager that stay here?”

Finally, Conte suggested that the mismanagement of Tottenham by those above him only sought to ruin managers’ reputations while keeping the owner’s reputation intact. 

"You risk to disrupt the figure of the manager and to protect the other situation in every moment.

“Until now I try to hide the situation but now, no. 

Tottenham dropping points against Southampton means that they will drop out of the top four if Newcastle win one of their two outstanding games, and this has made Conte’s dissatisfaction with the Tottenham job even worse. 

Similar to Jose Mourinho’s “football heritage” rant, this rant might finally spell a messy divorce between the Italian manager and the London club. 

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