Antonio Conte leaves Tottenham LIVE! Latest updates with Julian Nagelsmann and Mauricio Pochettino linked

Tottenham manager news LIVE!

Antonio Conte has left Spurs after last night’s late confirmation that the club and coach have agreed a “mutual” separation of paths. Club chairman Daniel Levy now begins the search for a fourth permanent manager in as many years in north London.

Despite Conte’s long-term No2 Cristian Stellini taking charge until the end of the campaign, with Ryan Mason as his assistant, attention is already turning to who could be installed as the next full-time boss. Mauricio Pochettino is tipped to return to Tottenham after a year out of the game while Julian Nagelsmann, recently sacked by Bayern Munich, is another leading contender.

There is also the chance that a wildcard such as Luis Enrique, Thomas Frank or Ange Postecoglou could emerge as a serious candidate. What team is left for them to take over, however, is a big question given the precarious nature of their push for next season’s Champions League. Follow all the latest Tottenham manager news and updates via Standard Sport’s live blog below, with expert analysis from Dan Kilpatrick.

Tottenham manager news and updates

• Conte departs after late-night statement

• Daniel Levy’s words in full

• Latest odds: Spurs’ next permanent boss

• Stellini decision a risk for Tottenham

How Conte lost the dressing room

15:57 , Matt Verri

Tottenham called time on Antonio Conte‘s tenure after believing the manager had lost the dressing room and would have little chance of guiding the club to another top-four finish following his furious evisceration of the players at Southampton, writes Dan Kilpatrick.

The Italian on Sunday night left Spurs ‘by mutual agreement’ and was replaced by his assistant Cristian Stellini, who will take charge of the final 10 games of the season with support from Conte’s entire backroom staff - with the exception of his brother Gianluca, who has been relieved of his role as an analyst.

Julian Nagelsmann, sacked by Bayern Munich last week, is a front-runner for the job in the summer, while Mauricio Pochettino and Luis Enrique, who are also free agents, may be considered, along with Brighton’s Roberto De Zerbi, Brentford boss Thomas Frank and Oliver Glasner of Eintracht Frankfurt.

Read the full story here!

Keown: Arsenal player role in Conte exit

15:33 , Matt Verri

Asenal’s stunning rise to the top of the Premier League table had a key role in Tottenham deciding to dismiss Antonio Conte, according to Martin Keown.

Spurs beat the Gunners to a fourth-placed finish last season in what proved to be the crowning achievement of the Italian’s time in north London.

Sunday’s announcement of his departure means Conte leaves with Tottenham still in fourth, ableit as Newcastle and Liverpool snap at their heels, while Arsenal top of the league to put “enormous pressure” on their rivals.

Ex-Gunners defender Keown told talkSPORT that Spurs’ decision is a mistake and was likely hastened by his former side’s success.

He said: “I think they should have kept him until the end of the season, without doubt.

“I think that’s played a part, the fact that Arsenal are 20 points clear of Spurs when this time last year there was a run-in for the top four puts Spurs under enormous pressure.”

Pochettino misses management

14:09 , Matt Verri

Mauricio Pochettino is a leading candidate to return to Tottenham - and he’s already spelled out his plan for a managerial comeback having admitted he “misses” his work in the dugout.

He told Radio Marca in November of last year: “Football is timing. These are the moments for it to coincide and for that marriage to happen. Sometimes it’s just a matter of time.

“I don’t believe in trains passing only once. I think that sometimes you have to have the necessary patience and you have to know how to wait. The ‘timing’ is handled by football, it is true that my name has always been associated with big clubs.

“I have a lot of respect for professionals and it’s hard for me to sell myself, that’s work for you. That routine that is generated when you are at work is created as a result of the adrenaline of day to day. You miss it.

Stellini must be his own man

13:05 , Matt Verri

Cristian Stellini admitted last month it was his “dream” to become a manager in his own right, but Tottenham’s new acting head coach can hardly have expected the opportunity to arise so soon and in these circumstances.

Stellini will manage Spurs for the final 10 games of the season with Antonio Conte’s blessing after the head coach left the club by mutual consent on Sunday night, but his entire backroom staff — with the exception of his brother, Gianluca — remained in place. It is an extraordinary and perhaps unprecedented situation.

Stellini’s association with Conte dates back two decades to their playing days at Juventus, and he assisted his mentor in Turin before following him to Inter Milan and Spurs. Spurs are banking on Stellini, who will be assisted by Ryan Mason, providing a winning combination of continuity and change but the appointment is clearly a risk.

Read our full piece here

Initial talks with Tuchel before Bayern move

12:28 , Matt Verri

Daniel Levy is understood to have held preliminary conservations with Thomas Tuchel’s camp last week, only for Bayern to act decisively in appointing the former Chelsea manager as a replacement for Nagelsmann, writes Dan Kilpatrick.

Spurs will seek talks with Nagelsmann, 35, but have not set a timeline for appointing Levy’s 12th permanent manager.

The German is likely to want to wait until the summer to decompress and consider his options, with Real Madrid set to be in the market for a top coach if Carlo Ancelotti leaves the club.

Pochettino is interested in a return to Spurs but could also be in the frame for the Real job, having twice been targeted by Los Blancos in the past.

Sherwood: Spurs fans would not have wanted Tuchel

11:27 , Matt Verri

Tim Sherwood has expressed his relief that Thomas Tuchel will not become Tottenham’s next manager.

The former Chelsea boss signed for Bayern Munich last week despite reportedly being under consideration by Spurs chairman Daniel Levy as he prepared for Antonio Conte’s departure.

With the Italian now gone, attention is turning to his replacement but ex-Tottenham manager Sherwood is pleased the club can no longer turn to a favourite of their London rivals.

“I am just relieved that Tuchel’s settled somewhere and he has gone to Bayern Munich,” he told talkSPORT, via HITC.

“They couldn’t stomach another ex-Chelsea manager going into Tottenham.”

Conte unable to match previous heights

10:42 , Matt Verri

In terms of winning percentages, Tottenham have been Conte’s least successful club for over a decade.

He won more than 60% of his games in charge of Chelsea, Inter Milan and Chelsea, but it’s down at 54% as Spurs boss. That’s his worst since managing Siena for the 2010/11 season.

Not a bad record...

10:09 , Matt Verri

Conte coaching staff set to stay

09:45 , Matt Verri

Gianluca Conte is expected to follow brother Antonio out of Tottenham, but the rest of the Italian’s coaching staff are set to remain with his blessing.

Conte’s long-time assistant Cristian Stellini will remain in north London as caretaker boss until the end of the season, supported by Ryan Mason, as Tottenham face 10 key matches in their bid to secure a top-four finish and Champions League qualification for next season, starting with a trip to Everton next Monday night.

And Stellini will be helped in that role along with Mason by the majority of Conte’s other coaches, including goalkeeping coach Marco Savorani, set-piece specialist Gianni Vio and fitness coaches Stefano Bruno and Costantino Coratti.

There had been suggestions last week that Savorani would be leaving along with Conte amid a potential return to Tottenham for former goalkeeper and ex-interim goalkeeping coach Michel Vorm.

Conte’s younger brother Gianluca is poised to follow his sibling out of Spurs, however, having served as technical and analytics coach.

Frank ready for step up?

09:35 , Matt Verri

Thomas Work has worked wonders at Brentford, establishing the Bees in the Premier League and mounting an unlikely push for Europe with an exciting brand of football. The 49-year-old has proven himself a superb, pragmatic coach, helping Ivan Toney to establish himself as one of the top-flight’s best players.

Frank perhaps lacks the glamour of other candidates but is an engaging character. There is a question over whether he is equipped for the step up, particularly given he would be leaving an innovative and well-structured club for a more disordered environment at Spurs.

There is also doubt about whether his Brentford side are good enough in possession for him to really suit a bigger club.

Nagelsmann the favourite

09:27 , Matt Verri

Julian Nagelsmann is a free agent following his surprise sacking by Bayern Munich and was wanted by Spurs back in the summer of 2021 after the departure of Jose Mourinho. They ended up with Nuno Espirito Santo instead.

Nagelsmann built a reputation as a prodigal coach of players and a particularly adept tactician at Hoffenheim and RB Leipzig, known for adapting his system to suit every opponent.

He is likely to have plenty of interest in the summer, including from Real Madrid, but once owned a Spurs replica shirt and was a big admirer of their rise under Pochettino, suggesting a certain affinity with the club.

Glasner a potential option

09:19 , Matt Verri

Oliver Glasner led Eintracht Frankfurt to Europa League glory last season, having previously caught the eye as manager of Wolfsburg. He is ambitious and would likely be interested in a move to the Premier League and a top club.

He plays a similar system to Conte - a back three and wing-backs - which would mean minimal disruption to Spurs’ current tactics but, for all their pressing, his teams are generally happy to cede possession.

After three reactive coaches, Spurs are more likely to prioritise a boss who can get them back playing on the front foot and to the obvious strengths of their top-heavy squad.

Enrique back to club football?

09:11 , Matt Verri

Luis Enrique is out of work after he was sacked following the World Cup, and the former Spain boss is thought to be open to a job in England. Enrique won the treble with Barcelona and has been described by Lionel Messi as the best boss he has worked with, along with Pep Guardiola.

As a proponent of tiki-taka, his sides like to get on the ball and he is a huge supporter of youth, both of which would suit Spurs. He is also a big name, which is likely to appeal to Levy and Harry Kane.

But the 52-year-old has not worked for a club since 2017, so there is a question over whether his methods remain cutting-edge in the domestic game. And he lasted just a season at each of his other club jobs, Roma and Celta Vigo.

Risks with De Zerbi

09:03 , Matt Verri

If Spurs want the next Pochettino and to start from scratch with a young project coach, they should look no further than Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi.

The 43-year-old has taken the Seagulls to new levels since replacing Graham Potter, playing a refreshing brand of attacking, press-resistant football. He is a charismatic and forceful character, who should be able to quickly win over the dressing room.

But there are risks in taking managers from Brighton’s meticulous structure (just ask Chelsea), and Levy would surely feel more comfortable if De Zerbi had another year in the Premier League under his belt. But wait too long, and Spurs could miss their chance.

With Brighton pushing for a place in the top four and preparing for an FA Cup semi-final, Spurs would have to wait until the summer to try for De Zerbi.

Pochettino the popular choice

08:55 , Matt Verri

Mauricio Pochettino is the clear choice of supporters and interested in returning to the club where he spent five-and-a-half exhilarating seasons. Pochettino is a free agent following his sacking by Paris Saint-Germain and ticks many of the right boxes for Spurs: progressive football, a history of promoting youth and a suitably big name.

But they say you should never go back in football and the 51-year-old would be returning to a different club as a different manager.

A reunion would require Levy to swallow his pride and probably need managing director Fabio Paratici out of the way, amid a sense that there is not room for both him and Pochettino at Spurs.

All turned very sour...

08:48 , Matt Verri

Conte’s exit always appeared inevitable after that rant following Tottenham’s 3-3 draw with Southampton, which has proved to be his final match in charge.

The Italian labelled his players “selfish” and hit out at the culture of the whole club.

Real problem for Spurs?

08:39 , Matt Verri

Real Madrid’s own managerial search could prove to be frustrating for Tottenham this summer.

It’s expected that Carlo Ancelotti will leave the club, likely to take charge of Brazil, and the likes of Mauricio Pochettini and Julian Nagelsmann will surely be on Real’s list of replacements.

Temptation might have been there for Levy to try and get one of his big targets mid-season, but instead it will be a summer battle.

Nagelsmann leads the market

08:30 , Matt Verri

Cristian Stellini and Ryan Mason until the end of the season, but who will be in the dugout come August?

Here are some latest odds for who will be Tottenham boss for the first Premier League game of next season.

Julian Nagelsmann 15/8

Mauricio Pochettino 3/1

Oliver Glasner 5/1

Luis Enrique 9/1

Zinedine Zidane 11/1

Thomas Frank 12/1

Ruben Amorim 14/1

Roberto De Zerbi 14/1

Tension between Levy and Conte clear

08:21 , Matt Verri

Daniel Levy was fairly brief in his mention of Antonio Conte in last night’s statement, simply thanking the Italian for his contribution to the club and wishing him well.

Contrast that to the message when Jose Mourinho was sacked as Spurs boss - fair to say the tone was a very different one.

“Jose and his coaching staff have been with us through some of our most challenging times as a club,” said Levy at the time. “Jose is a true professional who showed enormous resilience during the pandemic.

“On a personal level I have enjoyed working with him and regret that things have not worked out as we both had envisaged.

“He will always be welcome here and we should like to thank him and his coaching staff for their contribution.”

Analysis from Dan Kilpatrick

08:14 , Matt Verri

It’s an unprecedented situation for a manager’s long-time No2 to stay on after he departs. Fascinating to see if Cristian Stellini sticks to Antonio Conte’s approach or goes his own way.

Martin Jol was completely different. He was a manager in his own right who was brought to the club to assist Jaques Santini, who he had never worked with before.

Stellini has made it clear he is Conte’s man and assisted him at Inter and Juve too.

Uneasy marriage turns ugly

08:06 , Matt Verri

Antonio Conte’s spell at Tottenham played out in a familiar series of stages, writes Dan Kilpatrick.

Just as at Juventus, Chelsea and Inter Milan, Conte demonstrated his brilliance as a coach in an initial period of success, before increasing his demands and becoming frustrated at a perceived lack of backing and an inability to compete at the top.

He ultimately departed in acrimony after lashing out at his players and paymasters. Conte’s position felt completely untenable after he torched his relationship with the squad in a furious outburst, with the only surprise that it took the club over a week to confirm his exit.

The difference at Spurs to Conte’s previous clubs is that his initial “success” was not what he considered success at all - merely a top-four finish - and his boom-and-bust cycle unravelled more quickly than usual - both points reflecting that Conte and the club were a dreadful fit from the start.

The 53-year-old is simply not suited to the patient building now essential for any Premier League club which is not state-backed and particularly Tottenham, who operate under chairman Daniel Levy’s strict financial controls, lack a recent history of winning, and never truly committed to a foundational rebuild post-Mauricio Pochettino.

Read the story in full here!

07:59 , George Flood

It’s interesting to note despite all the bad blood that Antonio Conte leaves Tottenham with only Mauricio Pochettino having achieved a better points-per-game ratio in the club’s Premier League history.

He’s ahead of the likes of Harry Redknapp, Andre Villas-Boas and predecessor Jose Mourinho...

Frank among outside contenders for Spurs?

07:52 , George Flood

There are also a number of what you might consider outside contenders being linked with the Spurs managerial post.

Among them is Thomas Frank, who has done such an incredible job to get Brentford out of the Championship and turn them into a competitive top-half Premier League club.

And how about Oliver Glasner, the highly-rated Austria coach who guided Eintracht Frankfurt to Europa League glory last season?

Former Australia boss Ange Postecoglou has made quite the impression at Celtic, while Steve Cooper has worked miracles at Nottingham Forest.

PSG chief Christophe Galtier and Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri also feature in the early bookies’ lists, but don’t seem like genuine candidates at this stage.

So much could change in the weeks and months ahead, though.

Who will Spurs hire next?

07:44 , George Flood

Though Cristian Stellini and Ryan Mason now take control of Tottenham’s top-four fight, attentions will inevitably quickly turn towards who becomes Antonio Conte’s long-term successor in the summer.

Many Spurs fans want to see Mauricio Pochettino return to the club, though they could face a stern battle with Real Madrid as they eye the Argentine as a replacement for Carlo Ancelotti, who could take over the vacant role with the Brazilian national team.

Julian Nagelsmann is another possible top contender after being surprisingly sacked by Bayern Munich and replaced by Thomas Tuchel on Friday, with mutual interest between both parties in the past.

Former Barcelona and Spain coach Luis Enrique is another heavily mooted option, though ex-Chelsea boss Tuchel is now obviously a name to cross off the list.

How about Roberto De Zerbi, who has made such an impact during his short spell in charge at Brighton to date?

Tottenham statement in full

07:36 , George Flood

For those that had already gone to bed last night when the Antonio Conte announcement dropped, here’s the full statement from Tottenham on his exit by mutual consent and the words of chairman Daniel Levy, who did not mention the Italian at all.

They also confirmed the surprise move that Conte’s long-term assistant Cristian Stellini would be staying on as caretaker boss until the end of the season supported by Ryan Mason, whom most had expected to be in charge of the final 10 games in their Champions League qualification battle.

Spurs said: “We can announce that head coach Antonio Conte has left the Club by mutual agreement. 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 sssistant head coach.

“Daniel Levy, chairman: “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.”

Tottenham manager news LIVE!

Sunday 26 March 2023 23:55 , George Flood

What an end to the weekend that was!

Antonio Conte left Tottenham late on Sunday night after the club mutually agreed to terminate his contract before it expired in the summer, leaving long-term assistant Cristian Stellini in charge for the final ten games of the season.

Mauricio Pochettino and Julian Nagelsmann are the names on fans’ lips to take charge in the summer as the hunt begins TODAY for the next Spurs boss.

Follow all the latest developments and updates via Standard Sport’s live blog, with expert analysis from chief football correspondent Dan Kilpatrick.