Tottenham Hotspur have announced that they have parted ways with head coach Antonio Conte by mutual agreement after his outburst last weekend.
The Italian was expected to leave the club at the end of the season with his contract expiring, but his recent comments about the players and the club owners made it highly unlikely that he would last to see out his contract.
Conte’s assistant manager Cristian Stellini will take over as acting head coach for the remainder of the season, alongside Ryan Mason as assistant head coach.
The club statement read (via Sky Sports):
“We can announce that Head Coach Antonio Conte has left the Club by mutual agreement. We achieved Champions League qualification in Antonio’s first season at the Club. We thank Antonio for his contribution and wish him well for the future.”
Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy further stated that the club has a fight on their hands for a Champions League place, and everyone needs to pull together to ensure the highest possible finish for the club.
He said:
“We have 10 Premier League games remaining and we have a fight on our hands for a Champions League place. We all need to pull together. Everyone has to step up to ensure the highest possible finish for our club and amazing, loyal supporters.”
Tottenham qualified for the Champions League in Conte’s first season and are currently fourth in the table. However, the side are out of all cup competitions this season and have no chance of winning silverware.
The club will now turn their attention to finding a replacement for Conte, with the likes of Mauricio Pochettino, Luis Enrique, and the recently sacked Bayern manager Julian Nagelsmann all potential candidates.
Conte leaves just after 16 months in charge and Tottenham becomes the first club in his recent career where he has not won a title having won a trophy with every major club he has managed.
It remains to be seen who will be appointed as Tottenham’s new head coach, but whoever takes over will have a tough task ahead of them as they will look to rebuild next season.
