Pep Guardiola has welcomed Antonio Conte back to the Premier League and lavished praise on the new Tottenham Hotspur head coach.
Spurs announced on Monday morning that they had parted ways with Nuno Espirito Santo and his coaching staff, just four months on from appointing them.
The North London club then confirmed yesterday that Conte will replace the Portuguese as the club’s new head coach, with the Italian penning a contract until 2023 with an option of an extension.
There is plenty of excitement among Spurs fans at Conte’s appointment as the Italian arrives with an impressive pedigree, fresh off guiding Inter Milan to a historic Scudetto triumph last season.
Conte’s first stint in the Premier League with Chelsea coincided with Guardiola’s arrival at Manchester City, with the Italian leading the Blues to the title during the 2016/17 season, beating out Mauricio Pochettino’s Spurs, who came in second.
Guardiola then won his first league title in England the subsequent campaign and it seems as though the Spaniard is keen to once again lock horns with Conte.
When asked about the 52-year-old’s appointment at Tottenham, the City boss said (via BBC Sport’s Simon Stone): “Welcome back to the Premier League.
“His career speaks for himself. An outstanding manager who has had success everywhere.”
Spurs Web Opinion
Spurs should count themselves lucky for being able to attract a manager of Conte’s pedigree, particularly given our decline over the last couple of years.
A lot of things fell our way, including the fact that none of the other jobs at top Premier League clubs were vacant and Man Utd’s reluctance to go for the Italian. Hopefully, the 52-year-old is the man who gets us back to challenging the big boys.