Roma, Italy – February 2: Naples’ head coach Antonio Conte plays in Stadio Olimpico during Serie A in Rome, Italy on February 2, 2025. (Photo by Paolo Bruno/Getty Images)
Antonio Conte has had success in almost every club he manages, but at Tottenham, it was a disappointment. The Italian led Naples to the Serie A title last season, failing to win any trophy during his time in North London, and his 53.95% win rate was the lowest since Siena in 2011.
According to Sky Sports Italia (via Italia), Conte has now opened up his spell for Tottenham Hotspur. He revealed that ambitious differences played a role in the two parties that split in 2023.
“It’s definitely been a tough year. I arrived at Tottenham in November with ninth place and in the first year we beat Arsenal to enter the Champions League position. For Tottenham, you have to understand that being qualified to compete in the Champions League is almost the same as winning the Premier League title.
“I remember there was a celebration in the locker room at the end of the match against Norwich. I called my staff and told them that we would better not get used to this celebration, which means we shouldn’t celebrate Champions League qualifications as if it were a Premier League champion.
“We are used to celebrating very different things.”
Antonio Conte Open Discuss personal issues during Tottenham Hotspur
Conte also revealed that the death of the people he was close to affected him.
“I’ve signed a year and a half to see what I’m having, but all sorts of things happened that year. The peritoneal death from leukemia and took him away in 15 days. It was an incredible blow emotionally and psychologically because we have such a strong bond,” Conte explained.
“At the same time, Gianluca Villali passed away. I met him in a restaurant with my wife a month ago. He seemed calm, but there was also something wrong.
Conte’s Naples side is considering signing a lot of Premier League players this summer, but starting with this episode, it may be impossible to return to England in the future.
