Is that a one-way ticket, Antonio Conte?
With Tottenham’s head coach pictured aboard a Ryanair flight to Italy on Monday, talk is rife over whether he has bothered booking a return to England this season.
Spurs are said to be considering the Italian’s position this week, according to the Telegraph, as chairman Daniel Levy speaks to his closest advisers before making a decision during the international break.
The expectation is that Conte will go, with his astonishing weekend rant – where he branded Spurs’ players “selfish” – viewed as the most blatant indication yet that the coach himself wants out.
“I see players that don’t want to help each other and don’t put their heart [in],” Conte added.
“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 fault is only for the club, or for every manager that stay here.”
The next chapter of Tottenham’s story is expected to begin without Conte, whose contract expires in the summer anyway.
In the short term, if indeed Conte is sacked this week, Spurs are expected to turn to Ryan Mason, although the immediate availability of a familiar face could make for a swift appointment either way.
Nevertheless, it is not just Mauricio Pochettino being linked with Spurs.
Mauricio Pochettino
“He’s magic, you know,” goes Spurs fans’ chant for Pochettino, and wouldn’t this be some reappearing act – four years on from his dismissal.
In and out have gone Jose Mourinho and Nuno Espirito Santo in that time, with Conte set to follow suit, while in his own endeavours Pochettino has collected a Ligue 1 title at Paris Saint-Germain before getting the customary boot for failing to deliver the Champions League.
As Carlo Ancelotti, Unai Emery and Tuchel have all gone on to prove, European silverware is more attainable away from the pressure cooker that is PSG, and after being the nearly-man for a few recent appointments – namely missing out on the Manchester United gig to Erik ten Hag – this one just feels right.
Hence why the bookmakers also fancy a return, from the start of next season, at least.
Next Tottenham manager odds
Tottenham manager for the first game of 2023-24 Premier League season, per Betfair:
- Mauricio Pochettino: 2-1
- Thomas Tuchel: 7-2
- Oliver Glasner: 9-2
- Luis Enrique: 6-1
- Roberto De Zerbi: 10-1
Next permanent Tottenham manager, with Betfair paying out on interim managers who oversee 10 matches in charge:
- Ryan Mason: 1-5
- Mauricio Pochettino: 6-1
- Oliver Glasner: 11-1
- Thomas Tuchel: 12-1
- Luis Enrique: 16-1
- Roberto De Zerbi: 20-1
- Ange Postecoglou: 22-1
Thomas Tuchel
Former Chelsea managers at Spurs. It hasn’t exactly worked out, with first Mourinho and now Conte unable to replicate their title-winning exploits from over in west London.
The manner of Tuchel’s Chelsea exit, coupled with their struggles since, have helped preserve his status among the “elite” head coaches – and his current availability is appealing too.
However, the likelihood of Spurs making another ex-Chelsea boss their latest recruit is slim, while – much like Tottenham with Pochettino – it appears another former club of Tuchel’s are willing to accept he never should have left. The Standard reported in February that PSG – now out of the Champions League – could reappoint Tuchel, who they sacked back in 2020.
Oliver Glasner
Recent experience of winning silverware? Step right up, Oliver Glasner, who steered Eintracht Frankfurt to Europa League glory last season – beating Barcelona, West Ham and Rangers en route.
Their Champions League campaign this time around may have ended with a last-16 exit to Napoli, but losing to the runaway Serie A leaders is no blot on the CV.
Frankfurt faced Spurs twice in the group stage, too, losing 3-2 in London and drawing 0-0 at home, while they are currently sixth in the Bundesliga – stumbling of late with two draws and two defeats seeing them slip out of the Champions League places.
Regardless, 48-year-old Glasner is turning heads, and could be swayed too. “Eintracht Frankfurt is a great club, but there are even more attractive jobs,” ex-Frankfurt boss Friedhelm Funkel told Sky Sport Germany. “If a request comes from abroad, then I believe that Oliver will think about it.”
Luis Enrique
Another available head coach, Luis Enrique left Spain after their last-16 defeat to Morocco at the World Cup last year.
International football aside, Barcelona was where Luis Enrique first handled the egos, and also the expectation, when winning the treble in 2014-15.
He would go on to leave in 2017, while amid two spells with Spain he had the personal trauma of losing his daughter, Xana, who died of bone cancer in 2019.
Away from club football for some time, six years to be precise, a return in this guise feels like an outside bet.
Roberto De Zerbi
The stock of Roberto De Zerbi has risen vastly since he first graced these shores in September. The Italian has emphatically answered the question of how Brighton will cope after Graham Potter, with the Seagulls remaining in contention for European football next season and arguably playing a more attractive brand of football to boot.
That could be music to Spurs fans’ ears, given their displays under Conte. But with Pochettino’s return also promising an improvement stylistically – anything would be an improvement, some supporters would say – Brighton will hope to keep hold of their man for the long term, until the next Big Six manger is dismissed, anyway.
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