Tottenham boss Antonio Conte insists he is “committed” to the club and has spoken to chairman Daniel Levy about his future.
The Italian cast doubt over his future when he suggested he was not “good enough” to fix Spurs’ problems following the midweek defeat to Burnley – the fourth loss in five games – and the club would have to make an assessment on the job he was doing.
He has since spoken to Levy and says Tottenham are happy with his performance.
“Our chairman Daniel Levy, he knows very well that I’m here to help the club in every moment and will help the club until the end,” he said.
“This is the reality and he knows this, and he knows that we are working very hard and he has great consideration about my job, about the job of my staff, and we speak.
“I repeat, I want to help the club in every aspect, also with my vision, with my idea and my ideas about football, for improvement. And, I repeat, no problem.
“He shows me great consideration every day and for this reason I am committed for this club much more because I know that the consideration of the club for myself is very high.
“We need patience, the club is the first to know the real situation and the club confirmed to me they know what the reality is.
“The club is very happy with my work, what I am doing with my staff. I am sure the club appreciates what we are doing.
“The problem is I am a perfectionist and I know very well which is my work and the improvement my work will bring in the future. When I lose I don’t stay so happy, this has helped me have success in my career.”
Conte is known to be emotional after games and often delays his press duties in order to cool off.
📌 Hotspur Way pic.twitter.com/i7KzbSFxBx— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) February 24, 2022
He accepts he is a bad loser and apologised for being too emotional in his interviews at Turf Moor.
“For sure, when you lose a game, I’m not the person to have dinner with. You understand? I’m not the right person,” he said.
“When I lose a game my mood is very bad, I prefer to stay alone. I prefer to live the defeat, stay alone and metabolise the defeat. For sure I need one day to recover – at least. It’s me, you understand? I don’t like to lose. If you ask me what I hate in life, it’s to lose games.
“My mentality is to prepare myself, to prepare my players, my team and to avoid this type of situation because I suffer. There are many coaches that don’t suffer.
“Sometimes I envy this person because I wanted to be a little soft, but at the same time to be this way makes me a person that in his career I won before as a player and then as a coach.
“For sure when I lose, if you expect that I am happy or to come to a press conference and laugh, I am not this person.
“I am sorry if I show my disappointment because maybe it would be good to keep this inside and not show my emotion.
“I am an honest person, it is difficult for me to lie or hide the truth. And for this reason, sometimes after a loss my mood is not top. Sorry for this but I am this.”
Spurs are in the process of rebuilding their squad in order to get back to the heights they were hitting under Mauricio Pochettino.
Conte is used to delivering success at clubs and admits he has mixed feelings about the task he has at Spurs, saying on one hand he is enjoying a long-term project but on the other hand he would enjoy having a ready-made squad.
“Here is a great experience because you have to build from the foundations, and on one hand it could be very good and also to make me not happy but to be totally involved in this to build a new structure, a strong structure,” he said.
“On another hand, for sure there is the will also to have a situation already made, already ready to fight to win but it’s OK.
“I repeat I like to work, I’m enjoying my time in Tottenham and I’m showing to enjoy this time in Tottenham especially when I show the disappointment after a defeat, because it means I felt this commitment for this club.”
Spurs are back in action against Leeds in the Saturday lunchtime game, with Rodrigo Bentancur (ankle) and Oliver Skipp (groin) missing.
