Even by Antonio Conte바카라s standards, it was a remarkable outburst that leaves his position as manager at Tottenham in even greater doubt.
The fiery Italian, who will soon be out of contract, has long been expected to leave his post at the end of the season. But after publicly criticizing his players and the Premier League club바카라s ownership following Saturday바카라s 3-3 draw with last-place Southampton, he might not last that long.
바카라They don바카라t want to play under pressure. They don바카라t want to play under stress,바카라 Conte said Saturday. 바카라Tottenham바카라s story is this. Twenty years there is the (same) owner and they never won something.바카라
Conte is a serial winner who has also developed a reputation for conflict. While he has been unable to deliver trophies in his 16 months at Tottenham Hotspur, the conflict has come.
After months of speculation about his future, Champions League elimination by AC Milan in the round of 16 this month appeared the be the beginning of the end for Conte.
Afterward he claimed his players were 바카라soft,바카라 fan patience was 바카라finished,바카라 and that it would take a 바카라miracle바카라 to win a trophy.
The 53-year-old coach, who has just returned to the touchline after recovering from gallbladder surgery, also said he would not 바카라kill himself바카라 in pursuit of success at a club that has not won a major trophy since the League Cup in 2008.
Conte바카라s criticism of his players is unlikely to improve his relations with them after Brazil international Richarlison complained about his lack of playing time this season.
Meanwhile, his withering assessment of Tottenham Hotspur바카라s owners could prompt chairman Daniel Levy into action at a time when Champions League qualification is still a possibility.
The risk is that Conte바카라s erratic outbursts could see the team바카라s challenge for a top-four finish unravel if it leads to unrest within the squad.
Some have interpreted Conte바카라s actions as evidence that he wants go now.
바카라Conte wants to be sacked in this international break,바카라 TV commentator Jamie Carragher wrote on Twitter on Saturday. 바카라Spurs should just put him out of his misery and do it tonight.바카라
If these are Conte바카라s final days at Tottenham, they echo the end of his Chelsea reign in 2018.
Despite winning the Premier League title and FA Cup in his two seasons in charge at Stamford Bridge, he was openly critical about the club바카라s transfer business and fell out with striker Diego Costa.
Conte has developed a reputation as a demanding manager.
Amid links with Manchester United last season, the club바카라s former captain and now TV commentator Gary Neville urged against hiring him despite his stellar reputation.
바카라I wouldn바카라t bring Conte in to United,바카라 he said at the time. 바카라He바카라s not a fit for United.바카라
Conte went on to lead Spurs to a top-four finish and into the Champions League, while United endured its worst ever Premier League campaign.
It appeared to be further evidence of Conte바카라s golden touch after winning five league championships and numerous other trophies with Juventus, Chelsea and Inter Milan.
But there was always the possibility that he would grow frustrated if Spurs could not match his own ambitions and provide him with the players to seriously challenge at the top of the Premier League.
Spurs spent about $140 million since his arrival, including $73.5 million on Richarlison.
While they are currently in fourth place, both Newcastle and Liverpool can overtake them if they win their games in hand.
The loss to Milan felt like a missed opportunity to reach the quarterfinals of the Champions League, having avoided Europe바카라s best teams 바카라 Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Napoli 바카라 in the round of 16.
There was also the embarrassing loss to second-division club Sheffield United in the FA Cup at the start of the month.
Conte has had to contend with personal trauma following the deaths of three close friends over the past five months 바카라 Tottenham fitness coach Gian Piero Ventrone, and former players Sinisa Mihailovic and Gianluca Vialli.
He then had to deal with his own health issues when undergoing gallbladder surgery in February.
Still, the season is far from a lost cause, and back-to-back top-four finishes would be considered a success for many teams 바카라 especially one that has not won a major trophy in 15 years.
For a serial winner like Conte, however, it doesn바카라t appear to be enough to satisfy his relentless ambition.
