What next for Antonio Conte?

Tom Weber

• 27 Mar 2023 11:35 BST
• 3 min read

Reports suggest that Antonio Conte could perhaps be on his way back to Italy after his Tottenham exit.

The Italian has, unsurprisingly, been let go by Tottenham Hotspur now after his vicious tirade against his players and the club ownership.

After a 3-3 draw in which Tottenham let slip a 3-1 lead, the 53-year-old laid into the Spurs players: "I see selfish players, I see players that don’t want to help each other and don’t put their heart [in]."

READ: Antonio Conte leaves Tottenham 'by mutual agreement'

“Why? Because they are used to it here," he continued, "they are used to it. They don’t play for something important. 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..."

What will the future hold for now-free agent Conte?

Back to Italy?

The one recurrent theme in Antonio Conte's recent managerial history is that there is often bad blood between him and his former employers.

Indeed, Spurs wasn't the first side Conte departed with a bang. Both at Inter and at Juventus before that, the hot-blooded coach fell out with the club hierarchy, which could complicate a potential return to either side.

Nevertheless, Gazzetta dello Sport reports that a comeback to one of Italy's big hitters could be a possibility. "Since Andrea Agnelli resigned as president of Juventus," writes the Italian paper, "the chances of seeing Conte again at the helm of the Bianconeri have increased."

JUVE LATEST: Man Utd plan to beat Juventus to Italy midfielder

The only roadblock, however, is the current Juve coach, Max Allegri, who has managed to weather the storm and recently defeated Inter in the Derby d'Italia to solidify his position.

As for Inter, Conte fell out with the Chinese ownership, Suning. "He no longer believed in Suning's project," reports the Gazzetta dello Sport. "He refused to be an accomplice to the economic downsizing, he pocketed the severance pay of 14.3 million gross (for himself and his staff) and said goodbye."

A potential return seems unlikely. A sabbatical would be another option, while Roma are also said to be in the conversation, but everything depends on what Jose Mourinho, whose contract runs until next year, decides to do this summer.