Tottenham Hotspur hire Antonio Conte as Nuno Espirito Santo is sacked

Following Tottenham’s 3-0 defeat to Manchester United, Nuno has been sacked after only three months in charge.  

The Portuguese manager was originally chosen after a two-month long manager search conducted by the Spurs board and started in perfect form, winning all three of the clubs opening premier league games while not conceding a single goal in the process. However, things sharply declined as the manager proceeded to lose five of the next seven games in charge, featuring three defeats against London rivals, Chelsea, Arsenal and Crystal Palace in which Spurs conceded three goals apiece.  

The final straw for Nuno was what many had coined “El Sackio” against Man United, as both managers came under heavy pressure prior to the match, with the loser set to face the sack. Spurs were outclassed on the night, failing to register a single shot on Man United’s goal in the second half, and with a performance too reminiscent of recent games, the fans made their feelings known during the game and “El Sackio” ringed true. The Spurs board ended Nuno’s short tenue with the club. 

Many associated with the club feared another manager search after such a tumultuous one in the summer, however the Spurs board had seemingly learnt from their mistakes as arguably the hottest prospect manager in the world, Antonio Conte, was rumoured for the job the same day that Nuno was officially sacked. 

Conte was a key target in the original manager hunt but declined the Spurs job first time round having only recently left Inter in which he won the Serie A for the first time in nine years, ending Juventus’ 9-year consecutive title run, a title run that Conte was partly responsible for in his previous tenue as Juventus manager. 

However, second time round, the spurs board, and particularly chairman Daniel Levy, were determined to get their man. Conte was immediately approached following the United match, much to the delight of the fanbase, and this time was convinced into joining the club, with Conte telling Tottenham Hotspur Media: “The contagious enthusiasm and determination of Daniel Levy in wanting to entrust me with this task had already hit the mark. Now that the opportunity has returned, I have chosen to take it with great conviction.” 

The decision has been seen as a huge coup for a club that has struggled since the departure of long-term manager Mauricio Pochettino, and with many huge clubs reportedly interested in Conte, for Tottenham to bring him in despite interest from United and Barcelona, has been seen as the first strong replacement the club has needed after a disappointing few seasons. 

Conte won his first official game in charge 3-2 against Eredivisie side Vitesse in a dramatic UEFA Conference League game, despite only having been given his work permit the same day. With Tottenham facing Everton this coming Sunday, it will be Conte’s first game in after having time with the team and will be a huge game in Tottenham’s attempt to build following a poor start to the season.