Antonio Conte to Tottenham LIVE! Updates and latest news as Spurs confirm Nuno Espirito Santo replacement

Antonio Conte to Tottenham - LIVE!

Hello and welcome to our live rolling coverage of the news that Tottenham have appointed Conte as their new head coach.

The former Chelsea boss has been confirmed, having been the front-runner for the job since Nuno Espirito Santo was sacked on Monday morning.

Conte has agreed an 18-month deal with Spurs, who will be hoping the Italian can bring the instant success to the club that he has achieved in his previous managerial roles at Juventus, Inter Milan and Chelsea.

The 52-year-old will take charge of his new club for the first time at home to Vitesse Arnhem on Thursday night in the Europa Conference League.

Nuno was relieved of his duties by Spurs chairman Daniel Levy after only four months at the helm after crisis talks held following Saturday’s 3-0 defeat to Manchester United.

The decision to sack Nuno comes after a disappointing run of results that has left Tottenham eighth in the Premier League.

Nuno was appointed on a two-year contract in July at the end of a protracted and often chaotic 72-day search for a successor to Jose Mourinho, during which talks with Conte broke down.

Levy has been reluctant to make another managerial change but he was furious after the embarrassing defeat to United at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Follow all the latest news and reaction with our live blog below...

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Conte to Tottenham latest news

• Conte confirmed as new Tottenham boss

• Italian ready to make Spurs a ‘protagonist' again

• Paratici: His record speaks for itself

• First match at home to Vitesse on Thursday night

• Pep welcomes Conte back to Premier League

Pep praises Conte

13:03 , Matt Verri

Pep Guardiola is the first Premier League manager to react to Conte returning to England.

Speaking ahead of his side’s Champions League clash with Club Brugge on Wednesday, he praised the Italian’s record.

“Welcome back to the PL,” Guardiola said.

“His career speaks for himself. An outstanding manager who has had success everywhere.”

Work visa wait

12:33 , Matt Verri

Conte is due to meet his squad this afternoon, but he will not yet lead the training sessions as he is still waiting for his work visa to be confirmed.

It’s still expected he will take charge at home to Vitesse on Thursday for his first game, in what will be the most high-profile match in the Europa Conference League’s short history.

Paratici and Conte back together

12:21 , Matt Verri

Spurs’ managing director Fabio Paratici brought Conte to Juventus in 2011, where he won the Serie A title in each of his three seasons in charge. The pair are now reunited, and Tottenham will hope it will once again be a successful partnership.

“We are delighted to welcome Antonio to the Club,” Paratici said.

“His track record speaks for itself, with vast experience and trophies in both Italy and England.

“I know first-hand the qualities Antonio can bring to us, having worked with him at Juventus, and look forward to seeing his work with our talented group of players.”

Passion, mentality and determination

12:10 , Matt Verri

Conte has spoken about the qualities he is looking to bring as head coach at Spurs.

“I am extremely happy to return to coaching, and to do so at a Premier League club that has the ambition to be a protagonist again,” he said.

“Tottenham Hotspur has state-of-the-art facilities and one of the best stadiums in the world.

“I can’t wait to start working to convey to the team and the fans the passion, mentality and determination that have always distinguished me, as a player and as a coach.”

Conte confirmed!

12:00 , Matt Verri

It’s a done deal!

Tottenham have officially confirmed Antonio Conte as their new head coach.

The Italian has agreed an 18-month contract with Spurs, with the deal including the option of an extra season.

Fast starter

11:10 , Matt Verri

Conte could be in the dugout against Vitesse on Thursday, with his first Premier League match at the helm set to be against Everton at Goodison Park on Sunday.

He has a perfect record in his first competitive match in charge at his last four jobs.

• Inter Milan 4-0 Lecce (2019)

• Chelsea 2-1 West Ham (2016)

• Norway 0-2 Italy (2014)

• Juventus 4-1 Parma (2011)

No soft touch

10:42 , Matt Verri

Tottenham players will have to be on their best behaviour under Conte. The Italian revealed his policy towards bad attitude in a previous interview, and his standards are very clear.

“I always talk about education and respect. I give this, but I demand it,” he said.

“If someone doesn’t have the right attitude during training or the right behaviour, under different circumstances, then I’d rather kill them.

“I’d prefer to kill him and to have 22 players.”

Conte’s last job

10:14 , Matt Verri

The Italian has been out of work since he left Inter Milan in May, reportedly over a disagreement on the club’s transfer plans.

That came just over three weeks after Conte led the club to their first Serie A title in more than a decade.

Romelu Lukaku and Lautaro Martinez scored 41 league goals between them last season for Inter - Tottenham fans will be hoping a change of manager will result in a similarly successful output from Kane and Son.

Where it all went wrong

09:59 , Matt Verri

“His coaching did not convince all the players. One drill in which the players were told to play out of position, with the forwards in defence and vice-versa, left some players baffled and others amused.”

Standard Sport’s chief football correspondent Dan Kilpatrick on how Nuno failed to win over Tottenham’s players and supporters...

Baffling training drill and why it all went so wrong for Nuno at Spurs

Chance of silverware this season?

09:42 , Matt Verri

FA Cup

It’s been more than 30 years since Spurs last lifted the FA Cup, but Conte showed a liking for the competition in his two years as Chelsea manager.

In his first season in charge the Blues finished as runners-up, beating Tottenham 4-2 in the semi-final before losing out to Arsenal.

Conte’s side went one better the following season though, beating Jose Mourinho’s Manchester United 1-0 in the final.

Chance of silverware this season?

09:25 , Matt Verri

Europa Conference League

It looks likely that Conte’s first match in charge at Tottenham could come in Europe, at home to Vitesse on Thursday night.

A 1-0 defeat in the reverse-fixture has left Spurs third in their group, three points behind table-toppers Rennes.

A win on Thursday would see the north London club go above Vitesse, but they need to finish top of the group to secure a place straight through to the last 16 and avoid a play-off with a side dropping down from the Europa League.

That could come down to the last match of the group, at home to Rennes, with December a potentially defining month for Conte’s hopes of winning a trophy this season.

Chance of silverware this season?

09:10 , Matt Verri

Carabao Cup

Should he take charge at Spurs as expected, Conte will be tasked with leading the club to silverware for the first time since they lifted the League Cup in 2008.

The Italian may well target that competition, with Tottenham in the quarter-finals and a home tie against West Ham to come in December. For the first time since 2017 it won’t be Manchester City lifting the trophy... could it be Spurs and Conte?

Nearly done now...

09:02 , Matt Verri

Conte latest

08:24 , George Flood

To bring you fully up to speed, Conte is now believed to have agreed an 18-month contract with Tottenham worth up to £15m following talks in London yesterday.

The announcement is expected this morning, with the Italian set to take charge of his first training session later today.

Spurs host Vitesse Arnhem in the Europa Conference League on Thursday before travelling to face Everton at Goodison Park on Sunday.

Create a united dressing room

08:19 , George Flood

It would be wrong to say the Tottenham dressing room is an unhappy place, but it is certainly not a united one right now.

The likes of Dele Alli and Harry Winks have been marginalised and the new manager at least provides the chance for a clean slate.

Everyone will hope to get a fair crack of the whip and the opportunity to prove they deserve to be in the starting XI.

Get a tune out of Bergwijn, Lo Celso and Ndombele

08:04 , George Flood

Speaking of talent, Tottenham’s manager need look no further than the trio of Giovani Lo Celso, Steven Bergwijn and Tanguy Ndombele.

Combined the trio cost Spurs over £120million, but we are still yet to see the best of them.

All have shown flashes of brilliance at times, enough to make you believe there is talent there, but consistency has been lacking.

The new manager must find a way of getting a tune out of the trio. It could save Spurs millions in the transfer market.

Add to the squad in January

07:53 , George Flood

Tottenham began a rebuild of their squad in the summer and make no mistake, there is still plenty to do.

The process needs to continue in January, particularly as Tottenham will still harbour hopes of qualifying for Europe this season.

They made some good additions in the summer, and there are obviously some exciting players in the squad, but more needs to be done.

If Tottenham don’t add, then they risk being left behind by their rivals and their new manager won’t have a chance of continuing the rebuild.

Conte is already being linked with a host of new names, predictably nearly all from Serie A.

The early list includes the likes of Dutch defender Stefan de Vrij, AC Milan midfielder Franck Kessie, Inter Milan’s Marcelo Brozovic and Fiorentina striker Dusan Vlahovic.

Create a style that appeals to fans

07:45 , George Flood

Saturday’s defeat to Manchester United proved to be the final nail in the coffin for Nuno and, in truth, it was the manner of the loss that was particularly alarming.

Tottenham failed to have a single shot on target during the whole 90 minutes and fans booed decisions like substituting Lucas Moura.

Supporters never really bought into Nuno’s style, which was defensive and yielded just nine Premier League goals in 10 games.

The new manager must change that and at least try to strike a cord with Tottenham’s history of attacking and exciting football.

Conte’s Tottenham in-tray

07:36 , George Flood

With Antonio Conte expected to be confirmed as Tottenham’s new manager today, Standard Sport’s Jack Rosser looks at some of the immediate priorities for the Italian in N17...

Get Kane onside and firing again

It seems incredible to write, but we are in November and Harry Kane has scored just one Premier League goal.

The striker, who pushed for a move to Manchester City in the summer, just never looked like his usual self under Nuno.

Kane thrived under Jose Mourinho and the new manager in at Spurs must make it a priority to get a tune out of the England captain.

Tottenham fought hard to keep Kane and, after going through all that, they must get the most out of him.

If Spurs are to turn a corner, then Kane will be at the heart of it.

Nuno’s first and last...

Monday 1 November 2021 16:45 , Matt Verri

Back in happier times for the club, Nuno got his Tottenham reign underway in a pre-season friendly against Leyton Orient in July. Dane Scarlett scored his side’s goal in a 1-1 draw, taking the honour of being the first goalscorer under the new boss.

Lucas Moura’s final act for Nuno’s Spurs team was to be substituted against Manchester United, a decision that was met with a furious reaction from the home fans inside the stadium.

But the Brazilian will also go down as the scorer of the last goal of the brief reign, a winner against Burnley in the Carabao Cup to secure Tottenham’s place in the last eight.

How Nuno compared

Monday 1 November 2021 16:17 , Matt Verri

The stats are not pretty reading for Nuno - he had a lower win percentage in charge at Tottenham than any of his recent predecessors.

He is also the first Tottenham boss since Glenn Hoddle to finish with a negative goal difference across all competitions.

• Nuno Espirito Santo 52.94% of matches won (all competitions)

• Jose Mourinho 62.21%

• Mauricio Pochettino 65.52%

• Tim Sherwood 57.14%

• Andre Villas-Boas 67.50%

• Harry Redknapp 62.12%

Conte on Tottenham’s expectations

Monday 1 November 2021 15:49 , Matt Verri

If his previous comments are anything to go by, Conte would be expecting significant backing in the transfer window if he were to take the job in north London.

“Every team has to understand what their ambitions are,” Conte said in 2017. “If [Tottenham’s] ambitions are to fight for the title or win the Champions League, you must buy expensive players. Otherwise you continue to stay in your level. It’s simple.

“My question is this: What are Tottenham’s expectations?”

Over to you Levy and Paratici...

Conte on Kane

Monday 1 November 2021 14:44 , Matt Verri

When he was Chelsea manager, Antonio Conte made it clear how highly he rates Harry Kane, and should he take charge at Spurs one of his main priorities will be getting the best out of his main man.

Speaking in 2017, the Italian said: “For me, [Harry] Kane, now, is one of the best strikers in the world. If I had to buy one striker I would go to Kane. He is a complete striker.

“He is strong physically, with the ball, without the ball, he fights and he’s strong in the air and acrobatic on the right and the left. He’s a complete player.”

Games that cost Nuno his job

Monday 1 November 2021 13:34 , Matt Verri

West Ham 1-0 Tottenham

Another London derby away from home, and another below-par Spurs performance. Nuno made 11 changes to the side that lost 1-0 three days earlier to Vitesse, but the display from his first-choice team did little to justify that European selection and defeat.

In the second-half, even after Michail Antonio put West Ham ahead, the visitors failed to muster a single shot as Tottenham continued to offer nothing of note as an attacking force.

Games that cost Nuno his job

Monday 1 November 2021 13:17 , Matt Verri

Arsenal 3-1 Tottenham

Having lost 3-0 to Crystal Palace and Chelsea in their previous two Premier League matches, Spurs arrived at the Emirates in late September desperately needing a result and more importantly a positive result.

They produced neither, finding themselves three goals down after just 34 minutes. A Heung-Min Son consolation goal did little to lift the mood, and mounted pressure on Nuno that did not ease up for the rest of his time in charge.

Where it went wrong for Nuno

Monday 1 November 2021 13:06 , Malik Ouzia

Lost the crowd

It was clear to see the moment the home fans turned on Nuno and his team, as boos rang around the ground in the 54th minute of the defeat at home to United to greet his decision to replace Moura with Bergwijn.

Chants of “you don’t know what you’re doing” were also clearly audible, directed at a manager whose team trailed only 1-0 at the time but soon conceded a second goal to Edinson Cavani before Marcus Rashford’s late clincher proved the final blow for Nuno.

Where it went wrong for Nuno

Monday 1 November 2021 12:23 , Malik Ouzia

No recruitment plan

Fabio Paratici was brought on board this summer as managing director of football and was instrumental in Nuno’s eventual appointment but on the pitch, the lack of long-term planning remains apparent.

Limited by the cost of their spectacular new stadium, Spurs at one point went two transfer windows without making a single signing and this season they once again have no senior alternative to Kane as a frontline striker, defenders Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen have not been adequately replaced and signings from previous regimes, such as Ryan Sessegnon and even Nuno’s former Wolves standout Matt Doherty, have failed to make an impact.

Comment: Pressure on for Paratici and Nuno

Monday 1 November 2021 12:06 , Malik Ouzia

Our chief football correspondent Dan Kilpatrick has been writing about the job the Spurs hierarchy have on their hands after the botched Nuno appointment.

“As much as a suitable coach, Spurs need from Levy and Paratici a vision, a coherent strategy for the future, one which is based on more than just wishful thinking.”

You can read the piece in full, here.

Where it went wrong for Nuno

Monday 1 November 2021 11:47 , Malik Ouzia

Lack of creativity

That lack of attacking output has not been limited to Kane, with Spurs scoring only nine goals in 10 games. Only Norwich have scored fewer, three after Sunday’s 2-1 loss to Leeds, while they now match the Canaries for the fewest total shots with 103 according to the official Premier League website.

Son’s four goals make him a creditable exception but Lucas Moura, Steven Bergwijn, Dele Alli and summer signing Bryan Gil have one league goal and one assist between them - a combined return matched by Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg alone.

Where it went wrong for Nuno

Monday 1 November 2021 11:34 , Malik Ouzia

Kane controversy

Key striker Harry Kane was the subject of summer interest from Manchester City and made little attempt to disguise his interest in a move, while his eventual statement that he would be “staying at Tottenham this summer” was hardly a binding long-term commitment.

Last season, he and Son Heung-min formed one of the Premier League’s most dangerous ever partnerships and Kane led the league in both goals and assists. This term, he has only one of each after nine appearances and has taken only 19 total shots, with 10 on target.

Where it went wrong for Nuno

Monday 1 November 2021 11:26 , Malik Ouzia

Doomed from the start?

A prolonged 72-day search for Jose Mourinho’s successor saw Nuno initially discounted in favour of the likes of Antonio Conte, Gennaro Gattuso and their much-loved former boss Mauricio Pochettino.

Chairman Daniel Levy reconsidered only after repeatedly failing to secure those other candidates, weakening Nuno in public perceptions from the start as even an opening three-match winning run failed to quell supporters’ concerns. When those results did not continue, his position quickly became insecure.

Tottenham in advanced talks over Conte appointment

Monday 1 November 2021 11:11 , Malik Ouzia

Tottenham are in advanced talks with Antonio Conte after sacking head-coach Nuno Espirito Santo, writes Dan Kilpatrick.

Sources in Italy claim Spurs are confident of luring the former Chelsea boss back to the capital, with Sky Italia reporting the Italian is due in London today for talks with chairman Daniel Levy and managing director Fabio Paratici.

Conte was Paratici's first choice to succeed Jose Mourinho in June but discussions broke down, with Conte reportedly unimpressed with the club's assurances over spending and Spurs sources claiming the Italian was reluctant to work with their young players.

Conte would arrive with a reputation was one of the top five coaches in the world, having most recently guided Inter Milan to a first Scudetto in over a decade last season before he walked out of the job over a financial row.

The 51-year-old won the title in his first season in Stamford Bridge in 2016-17 and later the FA Cup, while he coached Juventus to three consecutive titles from 2011 to 2014, working closely with Paratici who was then the Old Lady's sporting director.

Conte is thought to be open to working with Paratici again, although his appointment would represent another dramatic change of direction from the club, with senior figures committed to a lengthy rebuild and starting a new cycle when Nuno was in charge.

Conte has a reputation for wanting instant success and is likely to demand improvements to the squad at the earliest opportunity if he is given the job.

Monday 1 November 2021 10:56 , Malik Ouzia

Tim Sherwood is currently trending on Twitter...

On the other hand...

Monday 1 November 2021 10:54 , Malik Ouzia

Conte appointment good news for Ole?

Monday 1 November 2021 10:53 , Malik Ouzia

If Antonio Conte does end up becoming the new Tottenham manager, the man who condemned Nuno Espirito Santo to defeat and, ultimately, the sack, might be breathing a sign of relief.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was arguably under more pressure than Nuno going into Saturday’s game but victory may well have bought him a bit of time and, indirectly, seen his most obvious successor taken off the market.

The contenders: Graham Potter

Monday 1 November 2021 10:40 , Malik Ouzia

Potter continues to receive praise for the job he has done at Brighton, who sit above Tottenham in the Premier League table.

The former Ostersunds and Swansea boss has been linked with a move to a club with more resources than Brighton, but Spurs may struggle to convince Potter to leave his ongoing project on the south coast mid-season.

The contenders: Paulo Fonseca

Monday 1 November 2021 10:28 , Malik Ouzia

The former Roma boss was heavily linked with Spurs in the summer and his wife suggested on Instagram that the family were ready to move to London.

Despite that falling through, the north London club could go back for the Portuguese, who has also managed Shakhtar Donetsk. Levy would have to move quick, though, with the 48-year-old also linked with the vacant Newcastle job.

Monday 1 November 2021 10:23 , Malik Ouzia

And reports are gathering pace that Antonio Conte will be the man to replace Nuno, at least if Spurs have their way.

Some are even claiming an agreement could be reached later on today, with Sky In Italy reporting that Conte is on his way to London. If the summer taught us anything, however, it’s that someone can be within a hair’s breadth of becoming Spurs manager one minute and a million miles away the next.

So let’s take a look at some of the other contenders...

The contenders: Antonio Conte

Monday 1 November 2021 10:19 , Malik Ouzia

A fine tactician and forceful personality, the Italian has a knack of ending successful stints by falling out with those above him.

The 52-year-old’s first big managerial break came at Juventus, who he led to three Serie A titles.

Conte went on to mastermind Chelsea’s Premier League win in 2016-17 and the following season’s FA Cup success, before returning to management with Inter Milan and taking them to last season’s Serie A crown. He left in the summer.

It remains to be seen if Tottenham could convince him to take the job after talks broke down in the summer over the Italian’s demands.

The stats that tell the story...

Monday 1 November 2021 10:14 , Malik Ouzia

• Under Nuno, Tottenham scored their fewest number of goals after 10 Premier League games since the 2013/14 season, when they also managed just nine.

• After winning their first three Premier League games 1-0 this season, Spurs conceded at least once in their next seven games.

• That is their longest run without a clean sheet since a spell of 10 games between September and December 2019.

• Spurs haven’t had a shot on target in their last two hours and 16 minutes of Premier League football.

That last one is utterly remarkable. This is a team with Harry Kane and Heung-min Son in it.

In fact, those odds on Conte have just gotten considerably shorter...

Monday 1 November 2021 10:10 , Malik Ouzia

Conte favourite to be next permanent manager

Monday 1 November 2021 10:07 , Malik Ouzia

We’ll have a more thorough look at some of the contenders to replace Nuno, but here’s how Betfair currently have the market priced up.

• Antonio Conte 2/1

• Graham Potter 5/1

• Paulo Fonseca 5/1

• Ryan Mason 6/1

• Brendan Rodgers 15/2

• Eddie Howe 15/2

• Roberto Martinez 12/1

• Sergio Conceicao 12/1

• Mauricio Pochettino 14/1

Monday 1 November 2021 10:03 , Malik Ouzia

There’ll be plenty of analysis and the post-mortem into Nuno’s brief reign has already begun, but this stat rather sums it up:

Monday 1 November 2021 10:01 , Malik Ouzia

We’ll have all the reaction to Nuno’s departure as we head through the morning, plus the latest as Spurs begin their search for a new manager.

Interesting that there were no quotes from Daniel Levy in that Spurs statement...

Monday 1 November 2021 09:58 , Giuseppe Muro

So Nuno is gone.

Spurs chairman Daniel Levy held crisis talks yesterday following Saturday’s 3-0 defeat to Manchester United and has dismissed Nuno just four months into the job.

Levy was already worried about recent results and performances and was furious was the manner of the United defeat.

Nuno was appointed on a two-year contract in June. He departs after just 124 days and 17 games in charge with Spurs 10 points behind leaders Chelsea.

Spurs will now begin a search to replace Nuno, with Porto manager Sergio Conceicao and Paulo Fonseca being considered as potential candidates. Antonio Conte is being strongly linked with the job in Italy.

Tottenham announce Nuno exit

Monday 1 November 2021 09:54 , Giuseppe Muro

It is official.. the club have said in a statement:

“The club can today announce that Nuno Espírito Santo and his coaching staff Ian Cathro, Rui Barbosa and Antonio Dias have been relieved of their duties.

“Fabio Paratici, Managing Director, Football, said: “I know how much Nuno and his coaching staff wanted to succeed and I regret that we have had to take this decision.

“Nuno is a true gentleman and will always be welcome here. We should like to thank him and his coaching staff and wish them well for the future.”

A further coaching update will follow in due course.”

Good morning!

Monday 1 November 2021 09:50 , Malik Ouzia

Hello and welcome to Standard Sport’s LIVE rolling coverage after this morning’s major breaking news: Nuno Espirito Santo has been sacked by Tottenham.