Antonio Conte fears Tottenham ‘might sack me even before the end of the season’ after woeful Champions League exit
ANTONIO CONTE admitted he may be sacked before the end of the season after Tottenham were dumped out of the Champions League.
The Italian’s listless Spurs side exited Europe on Wednesday evening following a goalless draw with AC Milan in North London – losing the tie 1-0 on aggregate.
And Conte, 53, who is out of contract in the summer, spoke about his future in uncertain terms after a third defeat in a row.
Speaking to Italian TV, he said: “My contract expires in June.
“We will see — they might sack me even before the end of the season, who knows, maybe they are disappointed.”
The loss to Milan comes following 1-0 defeats to Sheffield United and Wolves in the FA Cup and Premier League.
And Conte, whose side were reduced to 10 men late on after Cristian Romero received a second yellow card, is concerned by the failure to penetrate opponents in the final third.
“That is the third game in a row that we were not able to score,” he added.
“The game was in the balance. I think we can do much better offensively. I speak about the whole team, not only those who play in the front half. We can do much better.
“I can’t say anything negative about the commitment of the players. They gave everything from the start to the end. We finished the game with 10 men. But if I have to see a positive situation, it is that we had a step forward.
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“We played in the Europa Conference League last year and weren’t able to get out of the group stages. Now we took a step forward but it is not enough and if we want to be competitive, we have to fight.”
Tottenham sit fourth in the Premier League table but could be overhauled by Liverpool, Newcastle and Brighton if they win their games in hand.
But more than their league position, it is the style of football that is frustrating most Spurs supporters.
And Conte was forced to apologise to the fans after the Milan disappointment.
He said: “I’m really sorry for the fans but we cannot invent the win.
“It’s important to know this and not hope for a miracle that one day a trophy comes to us. We have to build and have patience.”