Managers reject Tottenham links as Conte statements cause panic

Antonio Conte responds to Richarlison's comments

PREMIER LEAGUE Managers reject Tottenham links as Conte statements cause panic

Ayoola Kelechi 23:58 - 09.03.2023

Two Premier League managers have ruled themselves out of contention to replace Conte at Tottenham

Two notable Premier League managers have distanced themselves from rumours linking them to the Tottenham job in the wake of Antonio Conte’s cryptic message about leaving Spurs. 

Conte drops cryptic hint on Tottenham future

Conte made his long-awaited return to football after having surgery on his gall bladder. Still, it ended in defeat and European elimination as Tottenham went out of the UEFA Champions League with a whimper against AC Milan. 

var widgetLoaderConfig = widgetLoaderConfig || { CDN_URL: 'https://widgets.sportal365.com', APP_LINK: 'desktop', API_URL: 'https://africa.football.api.sportal365.com/', API_KEY: '2f852b4de2f3a5cf3188e74b33087bb4:2c18422f8e826a7d11aeed52edb2449e', LANG: 'en', REQUEST_INTERVAL: 30, ENABLE_BET_SLIP: false, AUTHOR: false, THEME: "light", TOURNAMENT_ORDER: "pulse_nigeria", LINK_OPTIONS_V2: { 'player' : { 'url': '/football/player/{playerId}' }, 'team' : { 'url': '/football/{teamId}' }, 'tournament': { 'url': '/football/competition/{tournamentId}' }, 'match': { 'url' : '/football/match/{matchId}', 'sort': { 'criteria': 'alphabetically', 'direction': 'asc' } }, 'configuration': { 'newWindow': false }, 'standings_tournament': { 'url': '/football/competition/{tournamentId}/standings' } } }; if (!document.querySelector('script[src="https://widgets.sportal365.com/loader.bundle.min.js"]')) { window.setTimeout(function () { let scriptCss = document.createElement('link'); scriptCss.href = 'https://www.pulsesports.ug/css/sport-widgets.css?v=1668785443'; scriptCss.rel = 'stylesheet'; scriptCss.type = 'text/css'; document.body.appendChild(scriptCss); let scriptTag = document.createElement('script'); scriptTag.src = 'https://widgets.sportal365.com/loader.bundle.min.js'; scriptTag.defer = true; scriptTag.onload = function () { window.setTimeout(function () { new SMPWidgetsLoader(widgetLoaderConfig); }, 200); }; document.head.appendChild(scriptTag); }, 0); } else { new SMPWidgetsLoader(widgetLoaderConfig); }

After the game, Conte left a veiled response to a question about his immediate future at Tottenham, suggesting that he may not be the manager at the club for much longer. 

He said, “My contract expires in June, we will see—they might sack me even before the end of the season.”

Following this admission of uncertainty over his future at Tottenham, rumours have swirled about his possible replacement, and there have even been calls for former manager Mauricio Pochettino to return to the club. 

Managers distance themselves from Tottenham rumours

He has not been the only one linked to the club; current Brentford coach Thomas Frank and Nottingham Forest’s Steve Cooper have also been touted as possible replacements for Conte.

var widgetLoaderConfig = widgetLoaderConfig || { CDN_URL: 'https://widgets.sportal365.com', APP_LINK: 'desktop', API_URL: 'https://africa.football.api.sportal365.com/', API_KEY: '2f852b4de2f3a5cf3188e74b33087bb4:2c18422f8e826a7d11aeed52edb2449e', LANG: 'en', REQUEST_INTERVAL: 30, ENABLE_BET_SLIP: false, AUTHOR: false, THEME: "light", TOURNAMENT_ORDER: "pulse_nigeria", LINK_OPTIONS_V2: { 'player' : { 'url': '/football/player/{playerId}' }, 'team' : { 'url': '/football/{teamId}' }, 'tournament': { 'url': '/football/competition/{tournamentId}' }, 'match': { 'url' : '/football/match/{matchId}', 'sort': { 'criteria': 'alphabetically', 'direction': 'asc' } }, 'configuration': { 'newWindow': false }, 'standings_tournament': { 'url': '/football/competition/{tournamentId}/standings' } } }; if (!document.querySelector('script[src="https://widgets.sportal365.com/loader.bundle.min.js"]')) { window.setTimeout(function () { let scriptCss = document.createElement('link'); scriptCss.href = 'https://www.pulsesports.ug/css/sport-widgets.css?v=1668785443'; scriptCss.rel = 'stylesheet'; scriptCss.type = 'text/css'; document.body.appendChild(scriptCss); let scriptTag = document.createElement('script'); scriptTag.src = 'https://widgets.sportal365.com/loader.bundle.min.js'; scriptTag.defer = true; scriptTag.onload = function () { window.setTimeout(function () { new SMPWidgetsLoader(widgetLoaderConfig); }, 200); }; document.head.appendChild(scriptTag); }, 0); } else { new SMPWidgetsLoader(widgetLoaderConfig); }

With Pochettino, there has been no need to refute these rumours as he is currently without a club, but the other two have had to make public statements distancing themselves from the possibility of coaching Tottenham as they are both in the middle of gruelling Premier League campaigns. 

Cooper denied the rumours saying, “I feel anything outside our bubble is irrelevant. I’m focused on Nottingham Forest. 

“I don’t want or need to say it again. The most important thing for me is the game, I am trying to be at my best.”

Frank was also keen to dispel rumours, saying, “First of all they have a great manager [who] I’ve studied for long time, I hope he will do important things… and then, I’m very very happy here at Brentford.”

Tottenham's options to replace Conte seem to be dwindling, but no statements in football are ever final and we could still see one of Frank or Cooper in the Tottenham dugout next season. Who knows, we might even see Conte again. 

Related content