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Antonio Conte has said he is happy at Tottenham but warned he will have to leave if he can no longer accept the club's chances of winning big trophies anytime soon
Antonio Conte has six months left on his contract and fans have now started to vent their anger at Conte and chairman, Daniel Levy after the poor run of form.
Tottenham's disappointing form
Conte has a contract that expires at the end of the season and performances and results since the World Cup have cast fresh doubt on his long-term future. An unconvincing 2-2 draw at Brentford on Boxing Day was followed by an even worse performance in a 2-0 home defeat by Aston Villa, leading to audible fury from supporters.
The aftermath of this saw the coach calling for realism about expectations given the resources at his disposal. He went as far as describing the top-four finish last season as a “miracle”.
Conte offers assurances over his future
Speaking before the visit to Crystal Palace on Wednesday, Conte made it clear he remains on board with the “big challenge” assigned to him when he replaced Nuno Espírito Santo. He said a fundamental part for all concerned was to show patience in regards to how long it will take Spurs to land a major trophy, having not won anything since 2008.
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He again refused to say when that was likely to be and, for the first time, admitted he may well reach a point soon where he cannot continue to wait.
“My task is to help the club, to create a base, and then to try to improve,” he said. “If you say to me, the challenge for you is to win the Premier League, to win the Champions League, this is not the task in this moment.
“I signed a contract in November 2021 and found the club in a difficult position for many reasons. Now my task, I understood it very well is to help the club go in the right direction about the choices of the players, about the work, to organise and to create a foundation. This is my big challenge here. If I want to stay here, then I have to accept this. Otherwise, if I do not want to accept this, then I have to go.”
Big picture for Tottenham and Conte
Spurs retain an option to extend his contract by 12 months and have reportedly spoken to him about a fresh deal that includes a £1m-per-year salary rise. The 53-year-old has given no indication regarding when he will make a decision on his future, the widely held belief being he will see how this campaign pans out.
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Spurs are fifth in the Premier League and into the last 16 of the Champions League, where they will face Milan. They begin their FA Cup campaign at home to Portsmouth on Saturday having exited the Carabao Cup at Nottingham Forest in November.
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