Antonio Conte has finally spoken out about his infamous press conference rant during his final days at Tottenham Hotspur.
The Italian manager made headlines when he publicly criticized his players following a disappointing 3-3 draw against Southampton in March last year, just a week before his departure from North London.
Conte’s frustration was palpable after Spurs surrendered a 3-1 lead against the league’s bottom side, leading to a heated 10-minute tirade in which he accused his players of selfishness and questioned their commitment to the team.
During the press conference, Conte also addressed Tottenham’s trophy drought over the past two decades, highlighting the need for greater ambition from the club hierarchy.
In an exclusive interview with The Telegraph, Conte reflected on the incident, expressing no regrets and emphasising the importance of honesty in his coaching approach.
He explained:
“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.
“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.”
The former Chelsea manager led the Lilywhites for 76 games, securing 41 wins, 12 draws, and 23 losses. Over his tenure, spanning 509 days, he averaged 1.78 points per match.
A week after that presser, Tottenham announced Conte’s departure from the club by mutual agreement in the wake of eliminations from the Champions League and the FA Cup.
Things looked bleak at that time, but It has all worked out fine for Spurs. The appointment of Ange Postecoglou has proven to be a masterclass with the Australian fitting right into the club.
In his first season in charge, Spurs sit in the top 4 and are very much likely to qualify for the Champions League and possibly put in a title charge as well.
