Antonio Conte has left Tottenham Hotspur by ‘mutual agreement’, but there will NOT be a big name replacement any time soon.
The club have confirmed that Cristian Stellini – Conte’s assistant – will take charge of the first team for Spurs’ final 10 Premier League games, working with former midfielder Ryan Mason over the next two months.
Julian Nagelsmann had been linked following his surprise sacking at Bayern Munich, but it seems our top-four rivals will wait until the summer before a long-term replacement.
For me, this is both good and bad news for Newcastle. The good news is there won’t be a top class manager like a Nagelsmann, Pochettino or Tuchel arriving for the run in; which could have given their fragile Champions League hopes a huge boost.
The bad news is it’s still a change and the departure of a manager who appeared to have lost the players in Conte. With us two points behind Spurs with two games in hand, let’s hope his exit doesn’t give them a new lease of life ahead of upcoming games against Everton, Brighton, Bournemouth and ourselves on 23rd April.
Here’s the Spurs statement in full, featuring comments from Daniel Levy and confirmation that Stellini will take charge for the remainder of the season alongside Mason:
‘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.
‘Cristian Stellini will take the team as Acting Head Coach for the remainder of the season, along with Ryan Mason as Assistant Head Coach.
‘Daniel Levy, Chairman: “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.”
