Antonio Conte on trying to change Tottenham on and off pitch - 'This is not easy'

Sport

Antonio Conte on trying to change Tottenham on and off pitch - 'This is not easy'

March 06, 2022

Antonio Conte admits the Tottenham's manager's job is "not easy" and is a "new challenge" for him having been given clear targets to win trophies in his previous jobs.

Conte joined Spurs in November but has a big job on his hands to try and get them into a position that would fulfil his needs.

They are condemned to another season without a trophy after an FA Cup loss at Middlesbrough, while they are the outsiders in the race for a top-four finish in the Premier League.

The Italian, who claims that he was not set any targets when he took the job, is used to challenging for top honours and admits this is a tough new experience for him.

"Now this is a new challenge for me. For sure you need patience and you know at this moment you can't fight for something important, for what I am used to doing in my past and I think I deserved to do in the past," he said, casting more doubt over his possible longevity at the club.

"I deserved to stay and fight to win the league, to win trophies, because someone gave me something in my career.

"Now this is a new experience. I repeat, I am enjoying these months, we are fighting a lot because we are trying to change a lot of situations on the pitch and outside of the pitch. But if I get to be honest it is not easy.

"We are fighting, we are fighting to try and improve the situation, also because I think they ask of me this. I am trying to improve and give all of myself to try and change the situation.

"The situation is here for many, many years, not only at the last moment."

Spurs challenged for the top honours in the Premier League and Europe under Mauricio Pochettino before slipping down.

The assumption is that chairman Daniel Levy wants to get back there but Conte says he has not been set any specific targets like he was when Inter Milan appointed him.

"I think that when Inter came to my house to ask me to go there, they asked me to win in two years and they gave me the possibility to do what I want," he said.

"I can tell you this. With Tottenham, honestly we didn't speak about this. Maybe the target is different because in Italy there was only Juventus, also Milan and Naples, but Juventus was the first to win nine titles in a row.

"When you know you only have one opponent and also the possibility of the club, you want to win in two years or three years.

"In two years we won and now Inter Milan is one of the best teams in Italy. Now the situation I have found is totally different. We can't compare the situation with my experience at Inter Milan.

"For this reason we have to be focused on finishing the season in the best possible way, then the situation will be much more clear."

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