Tottenham part ways with Antonio Conte after criticism of players

Tottenham Hotspurs have announced the sack of Antonio Conte as the manager of the club.

The London-based football club announced the sack of the Italian coach on its website on Sunday night.

The exit of Conte comes after his post-match interview rant in the wake of Spurs’ 3-3 draw with Southampton last weekend.

Conte had berated his players and questioned the club’s ambition, though he recanted the latter.

The club’s board, headed by Daniel Levy, has however shown the former Chelsea manager the exit without giving a concrete reason in its statement.

“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,” the board said.

Levy added that the club needs to step up in its pursuit of the coveted fourth position that guarantees UEFA Champions League (UCL) despite the exit of Conte.

“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,” he said.

The club has put Cristian Stellini in charge as acting head coach for the remainder of the season, with Ryan Mason as his assistant.

Tottenham are currently two points ahead of fifth-placed Newcastle United. The UCL finalists have however played two games more in the race for the final UCL slot.