Tottenham Hotspur have finally sacked Antonio Conte as manager. The Italian’s departure has seemed inevitable after his outburst criticising the players, the board and the very culture of the football club itself following their draw against Southampton on March 18 2023.
It’s since been announced that Christian Stellini will make the step up from assistant head coach and lead the team in the interim. But who should the club look to in an attempt to fill the hot seat?
Potential Successors to Antonio Conte at Tottenham Hotspur
Christian Stellini
Stellini first became Conte’s assistant in 2019 when he was managing Inter Milan in Serie A and has filled in for his countryman on a number of occasions this season already. Stellini managed the team on six occasions, from November 1 2022 to March 4 2023 to mixed results. He oversaw a 1-0 win over Manchester City and a 2-0 victory over Chelsea. However, he was also in charge when the Lillywhites crashed out of the FA Cup following a 1-0 loss to Sheffield United.
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Ultimately, not enough is known about the Italian to argue whether he is a realistic candidate to replace Conte in the long term but, he is the man in charge as things stand and he has ten games to show the board, and the fans, just what he can offer them.
Julian Nagelsmann
Antonio Conte’s firing came as a shock to no one. In direct contrast, Bayern Munich firing Julian Nagelsmann caught the whole sports world by surprise. The German side have only suffered three defeats in the Bundesliga all season and had just progressed to the quarter-finals of the Champions League after taking care of Paris Saint-Germain. Despite only suffering three domestic losses Bayern do find themselves second in the Bundesliga, one point behind Borussia Dortmund, and it has begun to emerge that Nagelsmann fell out with a number of key players, most crucially goalkeeper, captain and all-round talisman Manuel Neuer.
But could he work at Tottenham? Still only 35, the German is considered to be one of the best young managers in world football following his success with RB Leipzig and Hoffenheim. He is tactically adaptable and has been able to get the best out of young players, such as Timo Werner and more recently Jamal Musiala, while still competing at the top of the league. This would suit a side that should be looking to build around the talents of Dejan Kulusevski, Pedro Porro and Destiny Udogie while still looking to compete in the Premier League and Europe.
The question becomes, is Nagelsmann too good for Tottenham? He has experienced dining at the very top of the football food table and unless he believes he can bring Daniel Levy’s club up to this level it is more likely he will wait and see if either the Chelsea or Real Madrid managerial positions open up this summer.
Mauricio Pochettino
Mauricio Pochettino oversaw one of the most successful periods at the North London team since the 1960s. This included a second-place finish in the Premier League in the 2016/17 season and a heartbreaking loss to Liverpool in the 2019 Champions League final. He also had the side playing exciting and attractive football something which club chairman, Levy, has repeatedly described as the ‘DNA’ of Tottenham. Pochettino left the club after appearing to clash Levy with his ongoing requests for a large overhaul of the ageing squad.
After leaving Tottenham, the Argentine went on to manage PSG for 18 months, however, it never quite clicked for him in the French capital. This is likely due to the fact that his controlling personality clashed with the incredibly large egos of players such as Neymar and Mauro Icardi. Much like Nagelsmann, Pochettino has demonstrated he can get the most out of young players and he’s shown he can challenge at the top levels of the Premier League. If he returned to North London it seems likely he would once again be allowed to build the squad in his image with players that suited his system and wants as opposed to the ill-fitting superstars in Paris. It would also allow Pochettino to finish the work that he arguably began: turning Tottenham Hotspur from constant underachievers to a European powerhouse.
Can the two set aside their previous grievances and work together? The former coach would be an incredibly popular signing with the fans who could dream of a return to exciting, dynamic football. It’s the board that seems more likely to need convincing.
Roberto de Zerbi
Roberto de Zerbi took over as manager of Brighton and Hove Albion when Graham Potter moved to Chelsea and he has got the Seagulls up to seventh in the Premier League all while playing fantastic football. In that way, he ticks many boxes that Tottenham seem to be looking for. The only issue is that de Zerbi only joined Brighton in September 2022 and it seems unlikely he would abandon his project when they are so close to European football themselves. It feels like Conte’s firing may have come too soon for him to be considered a contender.
Rúben Amorim
The Sporting CP manager is considered to be one of the hottest prospects in European football. In 2021/22 he led the Lisbon-based team to their first Primeira Liga title in 19 years, finally breaking the duopoly of S.L. Benfica and FC Porto. He did this utilising a 3-4-3 formation not dissimilar to Conte’s system. This system would fit the players that the Lilywhites currently have and likely allow the club to get the best out of their two electric wingbacks, Udogie and Porro.
But, Amorim has also never coached outside of his native Portugal and there are understandable question marks about his ability to step up to the demands of a top Premier League team. With proven commodities such as Nagelsmann and Pochettino on the market is Amorim worth the risk? However, if Chelsea or Madrid swoop in and disrupt this then perhaps Amorim is worth rolling the dice on for Tottenham Hotspur.
