Italian football manager Antonio Conte has suggested the length of his contract at Tottenham is not relevant to how long he will stay. Conte dismissed links to Juventus as disrespectful and sought to focus on the derby at Arsenal on Saturday.
Italian media has suggested Conte return to Juventus at the end of the season, and this story rumbled for much of the international break. This season Conte’s old club Juventus has struggled under Max Allegri and won two of nine games.
The difficulties that have driven the narrative are only not Allegri’s difficulties but Conte’s situation. Conte’s deal runs until the end of the season, but he has the option on Spurs’ side to extend for another year.
Conte joined the club last November, and he repeatedly called on them to match his ambition, which led to fears that if they did not do so, he would quit the club.
Conte was vague about when he might discuss an extension, perhaps by having a short contract, and he surely sees the benefit of being able to leverage his position.
The thing which he was keen to stress was how much he was enjoying working at Spurs, and the biggest factor for him is the overall direction of travel.
Conte said, there is no contract, there is no option, and if the club and the manager want to work together, they will continue to work together, but If they don’t want to work together, they finish.
Conte said, the most important thing for me is that I’m enjoying working with Tottenham, the relationship with Daniel and Fabio is good, and I’m OK, and I think the club is happy about this situation.
Moreover, he said, now the most important thing for Tottenham’s present and Tottenham’s future is to get the best possible result against Arsenal.
On being asked by Conte, would the break in the Premier League season for the World Cup represents a good opportunity, he said there doesn’t exist a right time, It could be tomorrow, and It could be the last day of the Premier League season.
Moreover, he said the most important thing for me and the club is to understand we want to continue together, to go in the same direction, and otherwise I don’t see a problem.
Conte said I don’t want to push the club about the situation because it’s not the right time. Moreover, he said, we have just started the season, and we have a long time to live together and to understand.
