La Gazzetta dello Sport explains why Antonio Conte and Tottenham parted ways by mutual consent, highlighting errors on both parties, including the coach’s reluctance to change tactics.
Conte officially left Spurs on Sunday, but as reported by Gazzetta, his time in North London had appeared to be over for several days.
The point of no return was reached after the last league match against Southampton, which saw Spurs waste a two-goal lead, going back to London with a 3-3 draw.
Conte was furious in his post-match press conference and blamed his players as well as Tottenham’s mentality as a club.
‘Everyone at Tottenham knows that the coach who arrived in London in November 2021 said the right things pointing out the poor habit of the club and that sense of satisfaction as soon as things start to go well,’ wrote Gazzetta’s correspondent in London Davide Chinellato.
‘But the way he said it, made things unbearable: because those words were so heavy everyone was aware of an irreparable break.’
Conte returned to Italy last week when he was spotted on a Ryanair flight ‘and perhaps knew he wouldn’t return to Tottenham,’ wrote Gazzetta.
The article explains Conte lived in a hotel in London during his 16-month stay and felt he needed to stay closer to his family in Italy, especially after the deaths of his friends Gian Piero Ventrone, Gianluca Vialli and Sinisa Mihajlovic and undergoing surgery to have his gallbladder removed in February.
‘During his 16-month spell, Conte had understood that Spurs were not the right team for him. After reaching a top-four finish last season, which he described as a miracle, Conte expected more step forwards from the club, which were never made,’ continued Chinellato.
‘With time, Conte has lost patience and players no longer followed him, distracted by rumours about his future.’
Gazzetta confirms Conte wasn’t happy with Tottenham’s transfer activities even if Spurs signed Rodrigo Bentancur and Dejan Kulusevski in January 2022, investing €70m for Richarlison last summer, plus €40m for Yves Bissouma, who has never been a regular starter at the club.
‘Both parties have made errors, including the coach,’ concluded Gazzetta.
‘He insisted too much on players who were not ready to follow his instructions. He showed no flexibility, sticking to a 3-4-2-1 system even when he understood wing-backs and centre-backs were unsuitable for his playing style. In the end, players burned out. Conte had found the way to take the best out of his players in the first months at the club, but the magic ended and the problems started.’
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