Antonio Conte opens up on decision to snub Tottenham

Posted Friday, June 11, 2021 by 101 GREAT GOALS

Antonio Conte has, on Thursday, provided something of an insight into his decision to knock back the approaches of Tottenham Hotspur.

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Italian tactician Conte is of course just one of a host of managers to have been tipped to take up the reins on the Lilywhite half of north London over recent weeks.

This comes after Daniel Levy and co. came to the decision to part ways with Jose Mourinho back in April.

To this point, the likes of Brendan Rodgers, Julian Nagelsmann, Steven Gerrard and even ex-boss Mauricio Pochettino have been touted as potential arrivals on the bench in the capital.

It was Conte's name, though, which quickly sent shockwaves through the Spurs faithful.

The former Juventus midfielder is of course a serial winner, fresh off the back of ending the Bianconeri's long-standing Serie A dominance with Inter Milan.

He was therefore viewed as the dream candidate to not only turn fortunes around at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, but potentially change the club's culture for good.

'Doesn't convince me…'

In turn, it came as a hammer blow for all associated with Spurs when, just days after negotiations between club and manager got underway, Conte decided against taking his talents back to the Premier League.

At the time, differences in opinion regarding staff members and, significantly, salary were cited as key to the collapse of talks.

If the latest comments on the part of none other than Conte himself are anything to go by, however, then it appears that money was in fact not a contributing factor in his eventual decision.

Speaking in an interview with the Gazzetta dello Sport (as cited by Football-Italia), the now ex-Inter Milan boss revealed that, whilst he has always enjoyed a 'challenge', he was left unconvinced by the project laid in north London:

'Generally, I like the challenges and I've accepted many of them during my career.'

'Even the top clubs I coached were never the favourites when I arrived. However, if there's something that doesn't convince me I prefer not to accept regardless of the money.'