Bristol Post

Football Conte ‘extremely happy’ to be Spurs boss

- Jonathan VEAL

TOTTENHAM have appointed former Chelsea boss Antonio Conte as their new head coach.

Spurs moved quickly to hire the Italian, who has signed an initial 18-month contract, after firing Nuno Espirito Santo on Monday morning.

Conte, pictured, who delivered the Premier League title to Chelsea in 2016-17 ahead of Spurs, had been out of work since leaving Inter Milan at the end of last summer, having just won the Scudetto.

He had previously been in advanced talks with Spurs in June about becoming Jose Mourinho’s successor, but they broke down after the two parties were at odds over key issues.

However, managing director Fabio Paratici is now in position at the Premier League club and has a strong relationsh­ip with the 52-year-old, having worked with him at Juventus.

Those difference­s have now been overcome, with chairman Daniel Levy looking to the serial winner to turn Spurs back into a force in English football.

“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,” Conte told the club website.

“Tottenham Hotspur has stateof-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.

“Last summer our union did not happen because the end of my relationsh­ip with Inter was still too recent and emotionall­y too involved with the end of the season, so I felt that it wasn’t yet the right time to return to coaching.

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 ?? ?? Bristol City goalkeeper Dan Bentley rallies his team-mates after Birmingham went 1-0 up at St Andrew’s last night
Bristol City goalkeeper Dan Bentley rallies his team-mates after Birmingham went 1-0 up at St Andrew’s last night

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