Antonio Conte left his role at Spurs on Sunday evening (Picture: Getty Images)
Antonio Conte has spoken out for the first time since leaving his post as Tottenham manager on Sunday evening, sending a message to the club and fans.
The 53-year-old arrived at Spurs in November 2021 and ended that season in style as his team beat Arsenal to fourth place and a Champions League place.
Tottenham are fourth in the table right now, but things are not looking so rosy, having been tamely eliminated from the Champions League by AC Milan and playing some turgid football.
Spurs have also played two games more than Newcastle and Liverpool, who occupy the two places below them, so their top four spot is under serious threat.
None of this was necessarily disastrous for a manager, but Conte made his position untenable with an extraordinary press conference after a 3-3 draw with Southampton last time out.
The Italian slammed his players, accusing them of being ‘selfish’ and lacking fight, will he also appeared to take aim at the culture of the club having failed to win a trophy in the last 15 years.
His first message after leaving the club did not mention anyone specifically, but thanked anyone who shared his passion for football and fans who supported him.
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Conte wrote on Instagram: ‘Football is passion. I would like to deeply thank everyone at SPURS who appreciated and shared my passion and my intense way of living football as a coach.
‘A special thought to the Fans who always showed me support and appreciation, it’s been unforgettable to hear them singing my name.
‘Our journey together has ended, I wish you all the best for the future.
‘Antonio.’
Conte’s press conference at Southampton left it impossible for him to continue as manager
As part of Conte’s astonishing rant at Southampton, he slammed his players for lacking fight and said they could not claim to be a team.
‘I think it’s much better now to go into the problem,’ he said. ‘Because the problem is that we showed again that we are not a team. We are 11 players that go onto 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 try to hide the situation and try to speak, try to improve the spirit, the situation, with words. But 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. You need to show this in every moment. Instead…
‘If I have to compare this season to last season, instead of improving, now we are worse under this aspect. And when you are not a team, anything can happen in every moment. Today is the latest situation. And don’t forget in the FA Cup we lost against Sheffield United, they played with young players. We were able, with a strong team, to be dropped [out] of the FA Cup.
‘In a lot of situations, we are not improving. I am not speaking about tactical aspect or technical aspect. But to be a team. [The players need] to understand we play for the badge. We have to play to make our fans proud of us. You 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 the FA Cup. Today we would win. Maybe previously in the other games, maybe something can change.
‘But here, we are used to for a long time. The club has the responsibility for the transfer market, every coach that stays here has the responsibility. But the players, the players… where are the players?! With my experience I can tell you, if you want to be competitive, if you want to fight, you must improve under this aspect. And now this aspect, in this moment, is really, really low. And I see only 11 players that play for themselves.’
MORE : Paul Scholes aims dig at Antonio Conte in quickly-deleted Instagram rant
MORE : Martin Keown says Arsenal ‘played a part’ in Spurs sacking Antonio Conte
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A message to the club and the fans from the departed boss.