Antonio Conte penned a contract until the summer of 2023 at Tottenham, with the option to extend. 52-year-old Conte has been a free agent since leaving Inter Milan at the end of their title-winning season.
Conte replaces Portuguese manager Nuno Espirito Santo, who was sacked on Monday, less than 48 hours after Tottenham’s 3-0 home defeat to Manchester United in the Premier League. Conte traveled to London for talks and gave his OK ahead of the official announcement on Tuesday. The Italian has been Tottenham’s main target for the bench in June, but he turned down the offer and the job finally went to Nuno.
Conte, the title winner
Tottenham currently sit ninth in the Premier League, winning 15 points from 10 games. Spurs are 10 points behind leaders Chelsea, the club Conte brought the title to back in 2017. Conte has a long history of winning titles, which started in the 2011-2012 season with Juventus.
That Scudetto, which came after Juve finished the campaign undefeated in 38 games, started a record-breaking winning streak of nine consecutive titles for the Bianconeri. Conte was in charge for the first three. He returned to Serie A at Inter, following stints as Italy national team boss, then Chelsea manager, to finish Juve’s dominance. Conte won the league in 2021, but left as he wasn’t convinced Inter was on the right track.
At club level, Conte won the league title in five of his last seven seasons as manager. His appointment at Tottenham comes exactly 5,000 days after the club won their last trophy. In February 2008, under Spanish coach Juande Ramos, Spurs triumphed in the League Cup.
Conte will start working with the team right away, but will not be in charge of training on Tuesday.
Conte’s first words: ‘When the opportunity returned, I have chosen to take it with great conviction’
Speaking for Tottenham’s website, Conte said he was “too emotionally involved with the end of the [Serie A] season”, so he opted not to sign for Spurs in the summer.
“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,” Conte revealed.
“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,” he added.
Tottenham is yet to reveal if Conte will be on the bench for Thursday’s Conference League match against Vitesse in London.