Cristian Stellini has been speaking to the press ahead of the weekend’s fixtures and was asked whether he and Antonio Conte have discussed their future at Tottenham Hotspur.
The assistant manager has been standing in for Conte after the latter underwent surgery to remove his gallbladder at the start of the month. Stellini has been in charge of training, press conferences, and even oversaw the team’s hard-fought victory over Manchester City on Sunday.
Stellini and Conte have worked together for years now, and the pair forged a successful relationship over in Serie A with both Juventus and Inter Milan.
Conte’s current contract with Tottenham expires in the summer, and the Italian’s future at the club has been uncertain for a while now (Daily Mail). However, Alasdair Gold told Football.London that he predicts the 53-year-old could still extend his stay with Spurs.
Whatever happens, it is highly likely Stellini would follow Conte, so the press took their chance to ask the assistant manager if he could shed some light on the situation and whether the pair talk about their future at the club.
Stellini told Football.London: “No we never talk about that. We are so focused on the moment and the next game, the next training and the next step.
“We have to do it. The next solution we have to create and build within the team. We have never spoken about this.
“In football, you cannot be relaxed if you have a contract or not. You have to work hard and when you approach the next game, you can’t be relaxed and you live this with energy because you want to win.
“This is our life, this is football, this is sport, you think about the next target and objective you want to achieve.”
Spurs Web Opinion
I would never expect Stellini to turn around and offer any new information on this situation, to be honest, and the fact that both he and Conte appear entirely focused on the here and now is a good thing.
What the future holds for Conte and Tottenham is all down to how this season plays out, so we need to ensure we stay on task and finish strong.