Some Tottenham Hotspur players 'want Antonio Conte sacked now'

By Ben Knapton, Senior Reporter | 20 March 2023

Some Tottenham players 'want Antonio Conte sacked now'

A select group of Tottenham Hotspur players reportedly want to see Antonio Conte sacked during the international break following his scathing rant at the weekend.

Some members of the Tottenham Hotspur squad reportedly want to see Antonio Conte sacked now in the wake of his explosive post-Southampton rant at the weekend.

The Lilywhites threw away a 3-1 lead to draw 3-3 with the Premier League's basement side, who rescued a point in second-half stoppage time thanks to a James Ward-Prowse penalty.

Tottenham have now failed to win their last five away games, and Conte did not hold back when launching a merciless verbal attack on his "selfish" players and seemingly also taking aim at the club's owners.

Speaking to the media in an astonishing post-match press conference, the Italian said: "We showed that we are not a team. We are 11 players that go into the pitch. I see selfish players, I see players that don't want to help each other and don't put their heart.

"The club has the responsibility for the transfer market, every coach that stayed here has the responsibility. And the players? The players? Where are the players?

Tottenham Hotspur players look dejected following their Champions League exit on March 8, 2023 © Reuters

"In my experience, I can tell you that if you want to be competitive, if you want to fight, you have to improve this aspect. And this aspect, I can tell you, in this moment is really, really low. And I see only 11 players that play for themselves.

"They are used to it here, they are used to it. They don't play for something important yeah. They don't want to play under pressure, they don't want to play under stress. It is easy in this way. Tottenham's story is this. Twenty years there is the owner and they never won something but why?

"The players have to be involved in this situation because it is time to change this situation if Tottenham want to change. If they want to continue in this way, they can change the manager, a lot of managers, but the situation cannot change. Believe me."

Conte has supposedly now clarified to the board that his comments were purely aimed at his players, and Daniel Levy has accepted this version of events, which is more than can be said for his squad.

According to The Sun, a portion of Tottenham's squad would happily see Conte be given the boot imminently before he leaves the club at the end of his contract in the summer.

Tottenham Hotspur manager Antonio Conte pictured on March 8, 2023 © Reuters

Spurs players supposedly believe that it is "impossible" for Conte to still be at the club next season, although it is unclear whether the board plan to take any action during the international break.

Ryan Mason was previously placed in charge for the final few weeks of the 2020-21 season when Jose Mourinho was let go, and the 31-year-old remains a respected figure of Conte's coaching team.

Mauricio Pochettino, who was sacked by Tottenham in 2019, has also emerged as a strong candidate to return to North London, but the board would need persuading to re-hire the Argentine.

The Lilywhites remain in the fourth and final Champions League spot in the table, but Newcastle United are now just two points behind with two matches in hand.

Conte has won 41, drawn 12 and lost 23 of his 76 matches in charge of Tottenham since replacing the short-lived Nuno Espirito Santo in November 2021.