Tottenham Hotspur have officially confirmed the appointment of Antonio Conte as head coach. The Italian tactician returns to the Premier League after winning the 2016-17 title and the 2017-18 FA Cup with Chelsea.
Buongiorno Antonio… pic.twitter.com/26wgcdcYED
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) November 2, 2021
Following his departure from Stamford Bridge, Conte spent a year without a club before taking over at Inter Milan, with whom he went on to win the Serie A title last season and parted ways this summer.
The 52-year-old was reportedly considered then for the Spurs job, previously held by Jose Mourinho, but he eventually rejected their offer and they ended up giving it to Nuno Espirito Santo. However, the Portuguese was sacked in the aftermath of the team’s defeat at home to Manchester United on Saturday, and they reopened the talks with Conte.
As for Espirito Santo, Spurs managing director Fabio Paratici said he was aware of his and his staff’s desire for success, and he regretted the necessity of the decision for them to be relieved of duty.
“Nuno is a true gentleman and will always be welcome here,” Paratici added. “We should like to thank him and his coaching staff and wish them well for the future.”
Conte has already taken on his new duties and will have been in charge of the team training held today (Tuesday). He will be in charge of the team for the Europa Conference League clash with Vitesse Arnhem on Thursday, and his contract is set to run until the end of the 2022-23 season.
“I am extremely happy to return to coaching, and to do so at a Premier League club that has the ambition to be a protagonist again,” Antonio said.
“Tottenham Hotspur has state-of-the-art facilities and one of the best stadiums in the world.
“I can’t wait to start working to convey to the team and the fans the passion, mentality and determination that have always distinguished me, as a player and as a coach.
“Last summer our union did not happen because the end of my relationship with Inter was still too recent and emotionally too involved with the end of the season, so I felt that it wasn’t yet the right time to return to coaching.
“But the contagious enthusiasm and determination of Daniel Levy in wanting to entrust me with this task had already hit the mark. Now that the opportunity has returned, I have chosen to take it with great conviction.”
