LONDON: Tottenham on Tuesday appointed former Chelsea and Inter Milan boss Antonio Conte as their new manager following the sacking of Nuno Espirito Santo after an ill-fated four-month reign.
Spurs moved quickly to hire the Italian, who has signed a contract until the “summer of 2023” after on Monday firing ex-Wolves boss Nuno, who was in charge for just 17 games.
Conte, who has also coached Juventus and Italy, won the Premier League with Chelsea in 2016/17 and the FA Cup the following year before he was sacked by the Stamford Bridge club.
The 52-year-old had been out of work since leaving Inter at the end of last season just weeks after winning the Serie A title — his fourth Italian league triumph as a manager.
“We are delighted to announce the appointment of Antonio Conte as our head coach on a contract until the summer of 2023, with an option to extend,” Spurs said in a statement.
“Antonio has won titles in Serie A, including a hat-trick of Scudettos with Juventus, the Premier League and also managed Italy, leading the Azzurri to the quarter-finals of Euro 2016.”
Conte had been in advanced talks with Spurs in June about becoming Jose Mourinho’s successor but they broke down after the two parties were at odds over key issues.
However, director of football Fabio Paratici is now in position at Tottenham and has a strong relationship with Conte, having worked with him at Juventus.
“I am extremely happy to return to coaching, and to do so at a Premier League club that has the ambition to be a protagonist again,” said Conte.
“Tottenham Hotspur has state-of-the-art facilities and one of the best stadiums in the world.
“I can’t wait to start working to convey to the team and the fans the passion, mentality and determination that have always distinguished me, as a player and as a coach.”
The Italian said he was delighted the opportunity to manage Tottenham had returned.
“Last summer our union did not happen because the end of my relationship with Inter was still too recent and emotionally too involved with the end of the season, so I felt that it wasn’t yet the right time to return to coaching,” he said.
“But the contagious enthusiasm and determination of (chairman) Daniel Levy in wanting to entrust me with this task had already hit the mark. Now that the opportunity has returned, I have chosen to take it with great conviction.”
Tottenham topped the Premier League table after three wins at the start of the season but the team are currently languishing in ninth position in the table after losing five of their past seven league games.
The Italian, who is expected to be given funds in January to strengthen the squad, is due to take training on Tuesday.
Conte’s first game will be at home against Dutch side Vitesse Arnhem in the Europa Conference League on Thursday before Spurs play at Everton in the Premier League on Sunday.
Paratici said Conte’s record “speaks for himself,” referring to his vast experience and trophy-winning pedigree.
“I know first-hand the qualities Antonio can bring to us, having worked with him at Juventus, and look forward to seeing his work with our talented group of players,” he said.
But Conte has a tough task on his hands to make Spurs leading contenders again.
The club, who have not won silverware since 2008, reached the Champions League final as recently as 2019 under former boss Mauricio Pochettino, who is now in charge of Paris Saint-Germain.
But they have lost their way since then and have missed out on the Champions League for two consecutive seasons.
Conte will be tasked with ensuring Tottenham play more adventurous football than the dour fare served up by the tactically conservative Nuno.
He will also have to get the best out of England captain Harry Kane, who has struggled to hit top form since his attempt to engineer a move to Manchester City was rebuffed by Levy.
Tottenham Hotspur appoint serial winner Antonio Conte as new manager
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Tottenham Hotspur appoint serial winner Antonio Conte as new manager
- Conte, who has also coached Juventus and Italy, won the Premier League with Chelsea in 2016/17 and the FA Cup the following year before he was sacked by the Stamford Bridge club
- Conte had been in advanced talks with Spurs in June about becoming Jose Mourinho’s successor but they broke down after the two parties were at odds over key issues
Big names eliminated as seeds advance at Dubai Tennis Championships
- Amanda Anisimova (2), Belinda Bencic (9), Clara Tauson (12), Emma Navarro (14) and Iva Jovic (16) all progress to round of 32
- Katerina Siniakova falls in straight sets to Spain’s Paula Badosa, who sets up clash with 2-time Dubai winner and seventh seed Elina Svitolina
DUBAI: Two former finalists and several seeded contenders advanced into the round of 32 at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, but a number of Grand Slam winners and big-name favorites were sent packing by some of the WTA’s rising young stars on Monday.
Amanda Anisimova, the world No. 6 and this week’s second seed was handed a late bye after the Czech Republic’s Barbora Krejcikova withdrew injured.
The penultimate center court match proved the last as Spain’s Paula Badosa, a Dubai resident, dismantled Katerina Siniakova 6-3, 7-5 to set up a round two clash against the tournament’s 2017 and 2018 champion, seventh seed Elina Svitolina.
“Katerina’s a very tricky opponent, she’s won a lot of matches and I was expecting a tough battle,” said Badosa.
“I’m really pleased with my performance today. I tried to stay in there as she increased her level, it was very intense.
“I was trying to go for my shots, be aggressive, just trying to stay in the points as long as possible and wait for opportunities. I really look forward to playing here, I’m like a local now.”
Earlier on center court, last year’s defeated finalist, Clara Tauson, the 12th seed, got her new campaign off to a positive start, beating 2020 Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin in straight sets.
The two exchanged powerful groundstrokes and intelligent net play in the first set, but it was Denmark’s Tauson who claimed the tiebreaker. With American Kenin seeming to tire, world No. 15 Tauson won 7-6 (4), 6-2.
Another defeated Dubai finalist, Anna Kalinskaya, beat 2017 French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko to progress. Kalinskaya, who reached the final in 2024, lost the opening set 2-6, but won the next two sets 6-1, 6-4.
World No. 13 and ninth seed Belinda Bencic conquered Spanish debutant Jessica Bouzas Maneiro on center court. After losing the first set 2-6, Bencic, who won the title here in 2019, won the next two sets 6-1, 6-2.
Bencic said: “I am just glad I was able to calm my head down a little bit and try and play a very simple game to improve throughout the match. I think I just settled into the match.”
Bencic, 28, who will face Sara Bejlek, 20, for the first time in the next round, added: “I will try to figure out all of the information I have, but during the match I’ll just have to adjust and figure it out as we go.”
Earlier, world No. 20 and 16th seed Iva Jovic beat Uzbekistan’s Kamilla Rakhimova 6-1, 1-6, 6-1. The American, 18, is a rising star, and will now face world No. 21 Diana Shnaider who overcame Australia’s Maya Joint.
Meanwhile, crowd favorite Leylah Fernandez, a Canadian with Filipino ancestry, lost in straight sets to Indonesian wildcard Janice Tjen 7-6 (5), 6-4.
“It was a great battle out there,” said Tjen, 23, who also beat Fernandez in straight sets at the Australian Open. “I think the first set could have gone the other way, it was just a matter of my execution in the big moments.
“We know each other pretty well at this point, we’ve had a couple of practices together as well, but thanks to my coach I managed to prepare a little better.
“I’m pretty aggressive and always trying to control the point, that sometimes doesn’t work as well as I want it to, but today I was able to do that, stay aggressive, and I’m happy.”
On court two, British star Emma Raducanu’s much-anticipated return to Dubai stadium ended in defeat to Antonia Ruzic, 1-6, 7-5, 2-6. The Croatian had replaced Elisabetta Cocciaretto in the morning after the Italian withdrew due to a right thigh injury.
On Tuesday, Australian Open champion and No. 1 seed Elena Rybakina faces Australian qualifier Kimberly Birrell on center court. The match comes after world No. 4 and third seed Coco Gauff playing Kalinskaya.
Filipino star Alexandra Eala completes day three’s center court bill. The world No. 40 plays sixth seed Jasmine Paolini in the evening’s final match.
