Cristian Stellini has admitted that all the players and staff at Tottenham feel responsible for the way things ended with Antonio Conte, but insisted that they are determined to show in the upcoming matches that they are all together.
Spurs announced last Sunday that Stellini would take over duties as the interim head coach until the end of the season, with Ryan Mason as his assistant.
In fact, according to Matt Law, goalkeeping coach Marco Savorani, set-piece specialist Gianni Vio and fitness coaches Stefano Bruno and Costantino Coratti, are still in N17, with only Conte’s brother, Gianluca, who was working as an analyst, following the 53-year-old out of the door.
Stellini claims the situation has had no bearing on his relationship with the departed Tottenham head coach, insisting that they remain on good terms.
When asked about Conte’s departure, he told Spurs Play: “I’m feeling sad, because when you have a managerial change in the middle of the season, everyone feels responsible.
“My relationship with Antonio is again the same, nothing changes in our relationship because we were friends, we were colleagues, we know each other for a long time and having this situation would not change our relationship.”
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Stellini did take charge of the team almost through the entirety of February when Conte was recovering in Italy from his gall-bladder surgery, and he boasts of an excellent record when he has overseen proceedings.
The 48-year-old admitted that he, along with the rest of the staff, are determined to help the team improve over the coming weeks.
When asked about the responsibility of steering the ship until the summer, the 48-year-old said: “I feel very honoured and feel I am in the right position to do this.
“I want to do this with all the staff, with Ryan that is very important for me and the club and it was important when we were in charge when Antonio wasn’t here.
“We feel we can do what we did before, we want to improve, and this is a moment to take responsibility and to improve, all together.
“We have to continue the job. If we are here, it is because we did a good job.
“And if we are here is because we have to make this decision and make this real because we will work well in that moment.
“The players, us and everyone in the club has to do something more to help the club to help the players, to help the team because we need a team and we want to show to everyone that we are a team again.”
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Stellini will certainly be motivated to give his best as the 48-year-old would not have expected in his wildest dreams that he would get to take charge of a club as big as Spurs, albeit for a short period.
The Italian will know that he will get plenty of job offers in the summer if he were to do well.
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