Antonio Conte has reflected on his time at Tottenham, insisting he got the “maximum possible” from the squad during his tenure.
The Italian tactician, who departed Spurs after a stint of nearly 18 months, highlighted the team’s ascent to Champions League qualification under his guidance despite taking over when they were ninth in the table. He acknowledged the high expectations and the challenges he faced, including working with stars like Harry Kane and Son Heung-min, while also hinting at the limitations he encountered.
Conte, speaking to DAZN, said: “I realise there are expectations, but if you go where there are difficulties… I think Tottenham did incredibly well, because they were ninth when I arrived and we got into the Champions League.
The two years after I left, which was for personal reasons, they did not qualify for the Champions League. I think I achieved a lot there too.
“If people ask me for miracles, then I can speed them up and get the best out of the squad, but that doesn’t necessarily mean we can win. I think I got the maximum possible out of that Tottenham side.”
In the dramatic final acts of his tenure, Conte’s frustrations boiled over as Tottenham Hotspur crashed out to Sheffield United in the FA Cup and squandered a two-goal cushion against Southampton in a 3-3 draw. Conte famously lashed out at the club’s infrastructure, singling out chairman Daniel Levy and the prevailing culture at Spurs.The Italian’s fiery comments left the club with little choice but to part ways. He remarked: “They don’t play for something important. 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, 20 years there is the owner and they never won something but why? The fault is only for the club, or for every manager that stay here. I have seen the managers that Tottenham had on the bench.”
Now steering the ship at Napoli, who sit at the top of Serie A, Conte reflects on the team’s progress since their championship win two years ago followed by a dip to a 10th place finish last season, indicating that their current form may be exceeding expectations.