Napoli manager Antonio Conte has opened up about his difficult period at Tottenham, despite guiding the Premier League club into the Champions League during his tenure.
Softfootball reports that Conte reflected on his time in north London while discussing the impact the experience had on his career. The Italian arrived at Tottenham in November with the club ninth in the Premier League and eventually guided them to a top-four finish.
Speaking about the campaign, Conte said he viewed the achievement differently from the players and supporters. He said:
It was a difficult year at Tottenham. I arrived in November with them ninth in the standings and we ended up in the Champions League, overtaking Arsenal.
Conte explained that qualification was celebrated enthusiastically inside the dressing room, but he was reluctant to treat it as a major triumph. He believed the standards at a club competing for major honours should be higher.
He returned with Napoli and enjoyed a dramatically different outcome, leading the club to the 2024-25 Serie A title.
Conte’s comments offer another insight into his demanding mentality, with his focus now firmly on maintaining Napoli’s position among Italy’s leading clubs. His experience remains a useful lesson for his coaching career.
