Richarlison has given his side of the story regarding the now infamous bust-up he encountered with former Tottenham boss Antonio Conte during the 2022-23 season.
Back in March, Richarlison had criticised the former Juventus, Inter and Azzurri coach for not providing him with enough playing time in the Tottenham first team.
The Brazilian international had been brought in by Spurs for a fee of around €58m (£60m) from Everton last summer, but life in North London did not get off to a smooth start. In fact, he had only been given nine starts in the Premier League before his explosive interview.
In turn, after a particularly disappointing draw with struggling Southampton, Conte hit out at Tottenham as a club and Richarlison on an individual level before being sacked by the time the team’s next game had rolled around.
Now, Richarlison has shared details about the ordeal in a conversation with the Que Papinho podcast in Brazil, revealing what Conte did to punish him after his original interview.
“I made a mistake in granting an interview in which I asked to play more,” Richarlsion explained.
He continued: “Later, I apologised and said he could punish me. He replied that he was the boss and he went on to prove it to me. He spent almost two hours scolding me in front of everyone in a team meeting.”
Ultimately, Richarlsion outlived Conte at Tottenham and will look for a fresh start in the 2023-24 campaign after what was a disappointing season all round in terms of injuries and success in front of goal.
Spurs ahouldsell this guy while they can. He has done nothing since he arrived except run around like a headless chicken and push his “ego”. His attiude has to change.