20 March 2023 , 22:04
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Antonio Conte's Tottenham departure is edging ever closer with those at the top of the club hierarchy on the verge of agreeing to sanction his exit this week.
The Italian has since returned to his home country following Saturday's 3-3 draw away at Southampton which saw Conte launch an astonishing rant aimed at his own players during his post-match press conference. He claimed that the squad were 'selfish' and explained how Spurs are not built to win silverware, even blasting chairman Daniel Levy.
"They don’t want to play under pressure, they don’t want to play under stress," Conte said after the draw at St Mary’s. "It is easy in this way. Tottenham’s story is this. 20 years there is the owner and they never won something, but why?"
In the aftermath of the remarks, the Telegraph claims that Levy is mulling over what to do next and is calling on the opinions of those closest to him, with many arguing the situation has suffered damage beyond repair.
As such, it is expected that he will part ways with the North London club.
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Sources within the club are of the belief that the most likely scenario sees Conte dismissed from his post during the international break, prompting Ryan Mason's appointment as interim manager until the end of the season for the second time in his career as a coach.
HAVE YOUR SAY! Should Levy sack Conte during the international break? Comment below
Antonio Conte's furious rant took aim at his own Tottenham players (Sky Sports)The alternative would see Levy try to negotiate a deal to bring a more experienced, high-profile and out-of-work manager to north London during the international break. Names such as ex-Spain manager Luis Enrique and former boss Thomas Tuchel have been touted to succeed Conte.
A familiar face in Mauricio Pochettino has also been identified as a potential option, but it could prove difficult to entice any of the aforementioned trio as Spurs approach the season's final furlong.
Conte has already held discussions with Levy in regards to his explosive post-Southampton speech, where the 53-year-old explained to his chairman that the rant was related to purely the players and no one else within the club.
Despite this, he refuses to backtrack on his comments and as a result the relationship between Conte and his players could suffer.
“I think it’s better to go into the problem, we are not a team," he blasted after the late capitulation against the Saints. "We are 11 players that go into the pitch. I see selfish players, players that don’t want to help each other and don’t put their heart [into it].
"This season compared to last, now we are worse in this aspect. When you are not a team you cannot improve."