Tottenham Hotspur Football Club made a surprising announcement in late March, 2023, that head coach Antonio Conte had departed the club. The announcement was made at an unusual time, late on a Sunday night when most Spurs supporters were asleep. In a recent episode of the Rule The Roost Podcast, Dan Kilpatrick discussed why it took so long for the Italian coach to be sacked and why the announcement was made when it was.
According to Kilpatrick, the announcement was made as soon as the compensation deal between Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy and Antonio Conte was agreed upon. Kilpatrick stated that the ink was dry on the deal when the news was announced. Tottenham wanted to ensure that they beat other journalists to the story, and that it didn’t leak beforehand. Kilpatrick added that while he wasn’t suggesting that Conte would have leaked the story, the club was cautious and wanted to get the news out before any other journalist did.
Despite the timing of the announcement, Conte’s departure did not come as a surprise to anyone. After his press conference following the match against Southampton, it was widely known that the Italian coach’s time at Tottenham was coming to an end, and it was only a matter of time before he was sacked. However, due to a number of leaks in the week, the announcement had become an open secret for some time.
The departure of Antonio Conte from Tottenham marks the end of a tumultuous period for the club. He was brought in to replace former head coach Nuno Espirito Santo in the summer of 2022, but his time at the club was characterized by poor results and a lack of consistency. Despite a strong start to the season, Tottenham’s form dipped in the months that followed, and Conte was unable to turn things around.
In conclusion, Antonio Conte’s departure from Tottenham was a long time coming, and the announcement was made as soon as the compensation deal was agreed upon between the club and the coach. Tottenham wanted to ensure that they broke the news before any other journalists did, and the timing of the announcement was a result of this. Despite the surprise announcement, Conte’s departure was not unexpected, and the club will now begin the search for a new head coach to lead them into the future.