Antonio Conte stated that Tottenham Hotspur need to adjust their current expectations away from the EPL or the Champions League. The coach stated that the club cannot fight for a title in either of the two competitions. Instead, the Italian says his job is to steer the team in the ‘right direction’.
Conte made the comments during a press conference ahead of a clash with Crystal Palace on Wednesday. “Here I understood that my task is different. My task here is to help the club build a solid base, create a base and then try to improve,” Conte said.
“If you ask me, ‘Is the challenge to win the Premier League, the Champions League?’ This is not the task here for this moment.”
The last defeat dropped Spurs from the top 4
The Spurs boss made similar comments following a 2-0 loss to Aston Villa at the weekend. He previously stated that the north London team finishing fifth may be the best case scenario. Villa’s defeat was Tottenham’s fourth defeat in the Premier League in their last seven games. They are now 14 points behind league leaders Arsenal.
“The task for me is to help the club,” Conte continued. “I signed a contract in November [2021] and I found the club in a difficult position, for many reasons. My task, I understood it very well, is to try to help the club to go in the right direction or return in the right direction.
“About player choices, about work, organizing and creating a foundation, this is my big challenge here, and I have to accept it if I want to stay here. Otherwise, if I don’t want to accept this, I have to go.”
Antonio Conte’s current contract expires at the end of the EPL and Champions League season
Conte is currently in the final year of his contract. Team bosses have had many discussions with the Italian manager about extending his stay in north London, but Conte has been deadlocked on agreeing to new terms.
This is essentially a new experience for the Italian. He’s not exactly used to being in that position with a team. Conte previously won league titles with Juventus, Chelsea and Inter Milan. While he could leave Spurs on his own account, the team’s front office could also fire the manager for lack of results on the field.
PHOTO: IMAGO/PA Images
