Former Tottenham boss Antonio Conte has claimed he doesn’t regret leaving the club in the fashion he did, following a long rant in his final press conference with the club.
The Italian coach had guided Spurs to an unlikely top four finish the season prior, beating close rivals Arsenal to the final spot for Champions League football. His methods beyond that campaign never quite resonated though.
A whole host of difficult results and performances left Tottenham fans apathetic towards Conte’s style by the final few months of the 2022/23 Premier League campaign. It was tough on the manager too, with personal illness and bereavement hitting in quick succession.
Conte’s time at Tottenham ended with a press conference that saw him launch into a rant surrounding the club and their ambitions.
Antonio Conte defends Tottenham exit
Antonio Conte has defended the way he left Tottenham last year, claiming he had to be truthful in how he felt at the time. He told The Telegraph in an exclusive interview: “At that moment, my feeling was that. If I tell something, it means there is always something true.
“No, honestly, I don’t regret anything about this. But I have good feelings about Tottenham. I keep this experience in my heart.”
When asked if he can be too honest sometimes, he added: “I am this way. I hate the lies. This can help me sometimes or sometimes can hurt me. But I prefer to stay in silence than to tell a good lie – also the relationship with my players.
“During the season, it can happen that you need an honest conversation that can be positive or negative. I know very well, I was a player as well and some coaches told me good lies to keep me calm. I don’t want this type of situation.
“I know very well when you have these honest conversations with the players, in the first moment they can be a bit angry. Then, from my experience, the time helps the player to appreciate you. They were angry, but then they appreciate the honesty.”
Antonio Conte’s Tottenham rant
Antonio Conte’s initial rant on Tottenham stemmed from his side leading against Southampton, before throwing it away late. Speaking to the media in March 2023, he said: “I think that it’s the right moment to speak because I think that after this performance, for me this is unacceptable.
“We are winning 3-1, in control of the game and you are able to concede two goals and risk, because also Fraser [Forster] made a fantastic save in one situation. I think it’s much better to go into the problem, because the problem is that for another time we showed that we are not a team.
“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. Before today I prefer to hide this situation and to try to speak, to try to improve the spirit, the situation, with the words, with a lot of situations.
“Because about tactical or technical aspect, this is one situation. The most important thing if you want to become a strong team, if you want to become competitive, if you want to fight to win, is the desire, the fire that you need to have in your eyes, in your heart, and you have to show this in every moment. In every moment.
“If I have to compare last season and this season, we have to improve, but now we are worse in this aspect. When you are not a team, anything can happen, in any moment. Today is the last situation.
“Don’t forget that in FA Cup we lost to Sheffield United, who played with young players. We were able with a strong team to be dropped from the FA Cup. And then a lot of situations, I repeat, that we are not going to improve. And I am not speaking about tactical aspects or technical aspects.
“About being a team, being a team, being a team, it is the most important thing. To understand that we play for the badge. We have to play to make our fans proud of us. We have to play to show desire. The fire in your eyes to win. If you have this, for sure, you don’t go out in FA Cup and today you win.
“Maybe previously in the other games something can change. But here we’re used to it for a long time. The club has the responsibility for the transfer market, every coach that stayed here has the responsibility. And the players? The players? Where are the players?
“In my experience, I can tell you that if you want to be competitive, if you want to fight, you have to improve this aspect. And this aspect, I can tell you, in this moment is really, really low. And I see only 11 players that play for themselves.”
Tottenham after Antonio Conte
It still remains to be seen whether Antonio Conte’s honest rant on Tottenham’s situation will be a turning point for the club. Since his exit, the arrival of Ange Postecoglou has ushered in some exciting football with results to match.
While there’s still questions over whether they can win a trophy, there is a clear aim to cultivate the right culture and profile of player to push towards silverware in the long-term.
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