Tottenham: Conte’s care for the Champions League

Like a good chef, over the years he has kept faith with his precious recipe. He has made it suitable for the most refined palates, the people who work alongside him have changed. The ingredients, however, are the same as always: “Head, heart and legs”. And, coincidentally, they coincide with the title of his first book, published in 2013. Antonio Conte wins and convinces: he did it with Juventus, he returned to do it – nine years later, after the successes with Chelsea and Inter – on the bench of a Tottenham that aims to be great again. Five months after his return to the Premier League, the Italian has entered the heart of the Spurs world: the team follows him, the club has given him confidence. And the fans, above all, are already crazy about him: they dedicate choirs to him regardless of the result, they are sure that Antonio is the right man to drag Tottenham to the top levels of English football. Not immediately, of course, as the coach himself explained: “We have a long-term plan, this year we are planning to end the season in the best possible way.” Maybe, qualifying for the next Champions League.

Fourth place

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Even if Conte has never been out of balance, the first step to reach in England is to snatch a pass to return to compete in Europe. When he moved to London last November, to take over from Nuno Espirito Santo, the team had come back from three defeats in the previous four games and fourth place seemed like a mirage, far from within reach of Lloris and his teammates. Eight days from the end of the championship, however, the hopes of the Spurs are more alive than ever, due to Antonio’s work and the benefits that – day after day – his players are drawing from it. The standings say 54 points for Arsenal, currently fourth with one game less, and 51 for Tottenham, which, however, have a less complex schedule between now and the end of the season. While Arteta’s team has yet to face Chelsea, Manchester United and West Ham, Conte has already taken on all the big names except for Klopp’s Liverpool. Expectations have been reduced to a minimum, but the former Inter’s ambition is always at the top: he knows where he starts but hasn’t set a goal, what matters is that the team grows week by week.

United group

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After a record-breaking debut in the league – 7 unbeaten games after signing with Spurs -, followed by mixed results at the start of 2022, Antonio has found continuity in his latest outings, scoring four wins in five games. The difficulties in January contributed to making the locker room more compact, determined to be guided by the coach. “He brought passion and a winning mentality, which you can breathe on the pitch, in meetings, at any time. It is a pleasure to work with him.” Word of Harry Kane, more and more leader of the new Tottenham.

A new Kane

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Speaking of Kane: as happened at Inter with Lukaku, Conte has established a special relationship with his center-forward, the pivot of the attacking game that he finalizes and finishes by dragging his teammates. At the start of the season, before Espirito Santo’s exoneration, the striker had scored a goal in 10 Premier League matches. The music has now changed, the 28-year-old is unstoppable and, with him, the whole team runs: 11 goals and 4 assists in 17 appearances, an infinite number of holes for Son and Kulusevski, who punctually surprise the opposing defenses. Harry is enjoying himself, Antonio more than him. “Even if he has only one leg, he must accept to take the field – joked the former Inter Milan at the press conference -. He knows he is fundamental for us, he is a point of reference and we cannot do without him”.

Kulusevski and Betancur

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While Kane’s rebirth is nothing new for Tottenham fans, there were some pleasant surprises on the other hand. Above all, the exploits of Kulusevski and Bentancur. Arriving in January from Juventus and immediately forced to adapt quickly to English football, Dejan and Rodrigo quickly won a starting shirt and, in the recovery against Brighton, decided the match by serving the decisive assists for the 2-0 final . The Swede has overtaken Lucas Moura in the manager’s hierarchy, in 9 appearances he has combined 2 goals and 4 assists. The fans even dedicated a chorus to him, the awkward kid who couldn’t stand the pressures of the world-Juve is already a bad memory that Kulusevski left behind: “I learned to be strong when things go wrong, it was frustrating not to be able to take the field when I wanted to do well. I needed a change of scenery. ” The train to London passed at the right time, the 21-year-old got on it and he couldn’t have made a better choice. A bit like what happened at Tottenham, betting on Conte, giving him carte blanche and relying on his hunger for victory. The last Spurs trophy dates back to 2008, the year of their fourth success in the League Cup: who knows that Lecce is not the right man, to return to celebrate by opening a new era. Winning helps win, Antonio knows it well: fourth place represents the first of a long series of goals.