Antonio Conte goes on extraordinary 10-minute rant as Southampton snatch draw against Tottenham

Antonio Conte goes on extraordinary 10-minute rant as Southampton snatch draw against Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday afternoon.

The raging Italian lambasted his players, describing them “selfish” while also claiming that there was a rotten culture at Spurs in an extraordinary rant.

He said the club needed to “change this situation” or the manager as he looks set to departure.

More pressure was put on him following what he said was an “unacceptable” draw after they threw away a two-goal lead at Southampton.

This came after the FA Cup defeat at Sheffield United and Champions League exit earlier in March, meaning the Premier League side haven’t won a major trophy since 2008.

In the 53 year old’s post-match press conference, he said, as per the Mirror: “We are 11 players that go into the pitch. I see selfish players, I see players that don’t want to help each other and don’t put their heart.

“Being a team, it is the most important thing. To understand that we play for the badge. We have to play to make our fans proud of us. We have to pay to show desire. The fire in your eyes to win. If you have this , for sure, you don’t go out in FA Cup. Today you win.

“Here we’re used to it for a long time. The club has the responsibility for the transfer market, every coach that stayed here has the responsibility. And the players? The players? Where are the players? In my experience, I can tell you that if you want to be competitive, if you want to fight, you have to improve this aspect. And this aspect, I can tell you, in this moment is really, really low. And I see only 11 players that play for themselves.

Conte, who is out of contract at the end of the season, is expected to depart later this summer and with Chairman Daniel Levy inside the ground today’s the result is has no doubt made his mind up if not already.

Asked the uncertainty over his future was affecting the players, Conte replied: “You are finding an alibi, another alibi. You try to find an excuse for the players.

“Come on, come on, come on. We are professional. The club pay us a lot of money. The players receive money, me receive money, you understand? Not to find excuse or not show spirit or show a sense of belonging or don’t show a sense of responsibility because we are showing this.

“For me this is unacceptable because for me this is the first time in my career to see a situation like this. Until now I wasn’t able to change, not to change but compare to last season the situation went to become worse.

“Why is it happening? Because they are used to it here, they are used to it. They don’t play for something important yeah. 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.

“You risk to disrupt the figure of the manager and to protect the other situation in every moment. Until now I try to hide the situation but now no because I repeat I don’t want to see what I have seen today because this is unacceptable and also unacceptable for the fans. They follow us, pay the ticket and to see the team another time to have this type of performance is unacceptable. We have to think a lot about this.

“Until now I try to hide the situation but now, there are 10 games to go and some people think we can fight. Fight for what with his spirit, this attitude, this commitment? What? For seventh, eighth, 10th place? I am not used to this position. I’m really upset and everyone has to take their responsibility.

“Not only the club, the manager and the staff. The players have to be involved in this situation because it is time to change this situation if Tottenham want to change. If they want to continue in this way, they can change the manager, a lot of managers, but the situation cannot change. Believe me.”

This is what fans said as Antonio Conte goes on an extraordinary 10-minute rant when Southampton managed to snatch a draw against Tottenham…

@TheOvais_M: Can imagine Levy telling him to pack his bags. Not that Conte will care as he doesn’t want to be there anymore. Whilst Levy is there, they will always have that ‘Spursy Mentality’ and not progress. Poch would be silly to come back to this.

@WestHamPlace: That’s a manager who desperately wants to be sacked

@linzi1989: Tottenham are gonna bottle the rest of the season with a manager who is LITERALLY saying anything he can to be fired 😭😭😭

@Luke_Seychell: He’s getting boring now, trying to shift the blame so he still has a good looking CV. Yes there are issues at Spurs out of his hands, but he also has to take some of the blame

@anxietyhealer: He’s absolutely not wrong (as a Spurs fan). However he came here knowing this and is being paid 15 million a year to change it, but instead all he’s done is make the football even worse to watch and signed some horrific players

@JamieInverse: I’m sure the fans feel the same way and I’m inclined to believe they are happy to see someone come out and say it.

@NabilN17er: Every realistic spurs fan can agree with this though. Great way for Conte to leave us

@dpjp89: He’s absolutely spot on 😂 his players are bottle jobs, the ownership is abysmal… they’ve had proven winners there in Jose and Conte and Spurs will be the only club they’ve failed to win at 🤣

@JoeWood9991: I think it’s a bit of a power move from him. Their options in retaliation are: They sack him and win nothing, he’s proven right. They stand by him and he gets the transfer market backing he’s asking for. Its then on his merit if they win anything.

@Crossie94: Absolute fraud. His system is exposed but instead of trying to actually coach or improve things, just does the same thing week in week out and cries.

@i50448067: Tottenham breaks great managers. Conte came with a glittering CV just like Mourinho and both have failed to change Tottenham from the perennial underachievers that they have become

@thatslux_: We all agree with what he said, but doing it after a shit result looks like he’s shifting the blame, when the football has been trash all season. Should have called them out behind closed doors and left if he wanted out. He’s absolutely right, but terrible timing / execution.

@mattggibbons: Conte is absolutely spot on here. Spurs will never progress to be winners or challengers that they desire to be with the attitude and mentality that they have. Some will call him out on this but coaches and winners like this know what they are talking about.

@thfcjoaquin: he’s saying what logical fans have been saying for years.

@GSarRoar: I’d say honest more than astonishing? Fair play to Conte, wish more would follow suit. Loved the way he put the final question to the sword as well 👏🏻 another example of words being twisted

@jamescarey1967: He is spot on, they brought Conte in to do a job, he has his own unique style & he hasn’t been backed well enough, zero ambition from the top down at Spurs.