‘They nearly threw up’ – Report compiles quotes about Conte training sessions

In an effort to present a picture of what the Tottenham stars can expect under Antonio Conte, The Athletic have compiled a list of quotes from players who have worked under the Italian about his ‘brutal’ training sessions.

In his first press conference as Tottenham boss last week, Conte made no secret of the fact that the Spurs squad has plenty of work to do.

According to reports, the Italian informed the squad when he met them for the first time last week that they had to be prepared to give everything in the training field.

Conte has enjoyed tremendous success in his managerial career and has a reputation for being an incredibly hard-task master.

Many Spurs fans might have seen the interview that the former Chelsea boss gave to Theirry Henry a few years ago in which he said he preferred ‘to kill’ players who are not giving 100 per cent.

The Athletic have revealed what the likes of Tiemoue Bakayoko, Eden Hazard, former Tottenham striker Fernando Llorente and others have said about the work ethic that the 52-year-old demands.

Bakayoko is quoted as saying: “Sometimes I get the feeling I have to make even more effort in training than I do in a match. That’s the level of intensity he demands every day in what we do.”

Hazard also spoke about the Italian’s incessant demands in the training field irrespective of the team’s results.

The Belgian said in 2016 about Conte: “He never stops working. Whether we win or lose, it doesn’t matter.

“He works, so we work. Work, work, work. And we all know that in football, and all sports really, you have to work so hard to reach the summit.”

Llorente, who worked under Conte at Juve, admitted that training under the former Inter boss was the most demanding of his career.

The former Spurs striker said in 2013: “The physical work is outrageous. We did very special strength work with machines I knew nothing about, explosive exercises.

“The workouts are more demanding than what I have done in my career so far. It has taken me a lot to adapt to the workload. It’s brutal.”

In addition, the report from The Athletic also quotes a couple of anonymous sources from Italy who pained a picture of Conte’s obsessiveness to detail.

One source said: “He is so demanding, it’s almost psychopathic. He seems crazy at times.”

Another source said: “When he arrived at Juventus in 2011, there was some scepticism but he made an instant impression.

“The players said they nearly threw up in his first sessions because they were so much harder than his predecessors.”

Spurs Web Opinion

Given how much the Tottenham squad have underperformed over the last couple of years and the fact that they have seemingly downed tools under the last two regimes, one could argue that a ruthless disciplinarian like Conte is exactly what the squad needs.

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