Tottenham part company with Antonio Conte after explosive rant about players and club, but Cristian Stellini and Ryan Mason stay on

Tottenham have parted company with manager Antonio Conte, the Premier League club has confirmed.

The Italian took the reins at Spurs in November 2021 and spent 16 months in the north London hotseat.

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Spurs are on the hunt for a new manager

His contract was due to expire at the end of the 2022/23 campaign, but Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy has decided to act now.

A club statement read: “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.”

Levy added: “We have ten 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.”

Cristian Stellini will take the team as acting head coach for the remainder of the season, along with Ryan Mason as assistant head coach.

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Conte goes but Stellini (left) stays at the club

Conte recently took aim at the club in a stinging rant following the 3-3 draw at Southampton on March 18.

The 53-year-old called his players ‘selfish’ and suggested Levy was responsible for a negative culture that stops Spurs from winning trophies.

He said: “The problem is we have shown we are not a team. We are 11 players.

“I see selfish players. I see players that don’t want to help each other, don’t play with heart.

“It is the same every season, no matter who the manager is. They’re used to it here.

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Conte appeared unhappy for much of his time at Spurs

“Don’t play for something important. They don’t want to play under pressure. They don’t want to play under stress.

“Tottenham’s story is this. 20 years there is the owner and they never won something, but why? The fault is only for the club, or for every manager that stays here. I have seen the managers that Tottenham had on the bench. You risk to disrupt the figure of the manager and to protect the other situation in every moment.

“Until now I try to hide the situation but now, no, because I repeat I don’t want to see what I’ve seen today because this is unacceptable and also unacceptable for the fans.”

Tottenham are guaranteed to end the season without silverware and finishing inside the top four is their only remaining target.

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Conte delivered a top four finish last season and Spurs are clinging onto fourth this term

Spurs are currently fourth but Newcastle are two points behind and have a couple of games in hand, while Liverpool are also threatening to catch the north London club.

Under Conte, the club averaged 1.88 points per game in the Premier League, playing 56, winning 32, drawing nine and losing 15 times. That is the second highest figure for any Spurs manager with a minimum of 38 games played. Mauricio Pochettino is first.

The press conference was not the first time Conte had vented his frustration during a difficult campaign and reports suggested a number of Tottenham players wanted him gone.

The former Chelsea and Inter Milan boss has cut a dejected figure at Tottenham in recent months.

Since October, Conte has suffered the loss of close friends Gian Piero Ventrone, Sinisa Mihajlovic and Gianluca Vialli, while the manager also underwent gallbladder surgery.

Source: TalkSport | Read More