Tottenham head coach Antonio Conte has left the club by “mutual agreement”, the London side have said in a statement.
A decision was made after the Italian launched into an extraordinary post-match rant after his team’s 3-3 draw at Southampton last Saturday.
The 53-year-old, who had seen his side exit the FA Cup and Champions League in quick succession, watched his players concede twice in the final 13 minutes on the south coast to lose ground in their fight to stay in the top four.
After a fifth away match without a victory, Conte unleashed a furious tirade against his own “selfish players” and shut down uncertainty over his future as “excuses” for a squad who have failed to end the club’s trophy drought that dates back to 2008.
The Italian’s contract was set to expire in the summer and he had remained coy over the prospect of extending his stay in London all season, but fourth-placed Spurs have now cut their losses with the former Chelsea, Inter Milan and Juventus boss after 16 months in charge.
Cristian Stellini, previously Conte’s assistant, will take charge of Tottenham’s final 10 matches of the season.
“We can announce that head coach Antonio Conte has left the club by mutual agreement,” a club statement read.
“We achieved Champions League qualification in Antonio’s first season at the club. We thank Antonio for his contribution and wish him well for the future.
“Cristian Stellini will take the team as acting head coach for the remainder of the season, along with Ryan Mason as assistant head coach.”
Spurs chairman Daniel Levy added: “We have 10 Premier League games remaining and we have a fight on our hands for a Champions League place. We all need to pull together. Everyone has to step up to ensure the highest possible finish for our club and amazing, loyal supporters.”
Conte, who won the Premier League with Chelsea in 2017 and won Italy’s top flight four times, once with Inter Milan and three times with Juventus, was unable to end Tottenham’s 15-year wait for a trophy.
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The north London club, who last won silverware when they lifted the league cup in 2008, qualified for the Champions League in Conte’s first season and are currently fourth in the table – meaning they will qualify again if they finish in their current position or higher.
However, the side are out of all cup competitions this season, so have no realistic chance of winning silverware.
