Antonio Conte opened up about the personal difficulties faced this season, suggesting that the recent losses of friends have pushed the Tottenham coach “to have important reflections.”
The Spurs coach has lost three close friends in recent months. Close collaborator Gian Piero Ventrone passed away in October, before Sinisa Mihajlovic and Gianluca Vialli both died this winter, upsetting the world of Italian football. On the pitch, things have been no easier for Conte and Spurs fans are starting to grow tired of the oft-poor displays, even if they do pick up all three points.
Speaking to The Guardian, Conte reflected on his difficult year, his recent losses and how that’s made him feel about the future.
“For sure, this season is a difficult season from a personal aspect. To lose in such a short time three people that I knew very well was not simple. When this situation happens it brings you to have important reflections.
“Many times we think and we give a lot of importance to our work and we forget the family. We forget that we need to have more time for us. This season is making me to have an important reflection on my future.
“When you work and the work is at the top of your mind and in your head, maybe we forget to stay with the family and friends. This is our passion and for the passion we lost a lot of things.
“But when this situation happens, you start to think that maybe it is good to give more time to your family and friends, and also to yourself. The work is not everything in life.”
Although Conte has been with Tottenham since November 2021, he still lives in a hotel in London and his family remain in Italy, forcing him to regularly return to the peninsula.
“For sure to have my family in Italy is not good, not good,” Conte highlighted. “But when you have a son or daughter and kids in school then you have to respect them because if every year or two seasons you have to bring your kids to change totally their environment. I don’t want to affect the life of my family.
“Sometimes it is important to make decisions to sacrifice and stay. I have a family who try to support me and come here in every moment that they can come. But this type of situation becomes more difficult when situations like these happen with Gianluca, Gian Piero and Sinisa.”
Finally, Conte touched on what his next steps are with Tottenham.
“About the commitment and what I give to the club where I work, no club was unhappy about this. Usually when I leave the club, they regret it a lot because they knew the way I work.
“It is normal that when I finish the day I am tired because I work a lot. For this reason the club want me to stay for a long period.”
Tired of story after story about this poor guy and the miserable life he has to endure.
Come home