Antonio Conte believes that the patience of the Tottenham fans is "finished" after another season without a trophy.
Spurs fans booed at half-time and full-time of the muted display that saw their team exit the Champions League at the hands of AC Milan on Wednesday night. They also booed Conte's last substitution with centre-back Davinson Sanchez coming on for the more attacking Dejan Kulusevski after Cristian Romero's red card.
When asked what he made of the atmosphere and the boos that night at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, after a week in which Spurs were knocked meekly out of the FA Cup as well as European competition to make it 15 years since their last trophy, Conte made his feelings clear.
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"It's not on me to say if the atmosphere is good or not good, and for sure and I continue to tell you that here the patience has finished for the fans," he said. "The fans want to win trophy. Stop.
"And then you have to find the right solution to make the fans happy and to win trophy in the future, because the patience of the fans has finished, and we feel this. I feel this. The players feel this. For sure this does not help the situation because there are many players in this moment, also young players that are playing, and they need to improve and go step by step to grow.
"We facing a difficult situation also with the injuries – important players that stay out. Lloris, Bentancur, Sessegnon is out, Bissouma is out for the rest of the season. If we undervalue this situation....I think that in every moment, we have to try to create the right atmosphere to help the team, to help the players.
"Because I repeat – in my opinion, also against Milan, they [the players] tried to give everything. Then you weren’t able to go to the next round against a team that won the league last season (he shrugs).
"We are trying to go step by step and to build something important but if you don’t have patience and it is not useful, this. You understand? It’s un-useful, this. In my opinion. For this reason, we have to try to stay together until the end for this season, and to help the players to stay together, to fight, to try to make the best possible position and then, for sure … [pauses] I don’t know what happens. I don’t know what happens."
Conte is widely expected to leave Spurs when his contract ends this season, although the club do have an option to extend it by 12 months. There have been some suggestions that if results continue to spiral and a top four spot looks in doubt then his exit could come sooner.
The Italian maintains that the club fully understands his situation and what's going on with the team even if the fans have lost their patience.
"I said the club knows very well the situation. The situation is not simple. It’s not easy. I repeat because the environment [the fans] wants to win and in this moment we are not close to do it, in my opinion, ok, yes? This is the reality," he said.
"There is no patience. I ask for time and patience but I see that the patience has finished. Maybe the fans are right, but you don’t build the win in one day, in two days. It’s difficult for me to realise this situation. It’s difficult because I am putting everything, me and the staff, to help the club, to try to build something, but at the same time I understand that maybe it’s not enough."
He added: "The club has the patience, but the problem is the club also has to make the fans [patient] because the fans for many, many years are waiting to win something and then you have to find the right balance. I understand that it's not easy for the club, not easy to invest a lot of money and you are sure to win.
"Maybe your probability improves but we know we have to fight against top, top teams who put a lot of money into this. You have to create the right atmosphere. Not only to invest and to put money to sign new players. This is not the only way to win. To win is to create the right atmosphere, the right unity, the right spirit, to be solid, for everybody to have the same idea.
"To put pressure on ourselves, to stay under stress, to be fatigued and in this way you are preparing the club to win, or you have to believe in a miracle and there is a big, big job to do here. Okay? But I am seeing that there is no patience. I can put it all on myself but I don’t want to kill myself."
Conte admits that his past, having won five top flight league titles in Italy and England, means that expectations are high when he comes into a job.
"The problem for me is only one - that every club where I coached, I won. Expectation has always been very, very high," he said. "I remember very well when I arrived at this club everybody said, ‘Now we have Conte - he won in the past, so now we are going to win!’
"But we have to win together. We have to create the right situation. I can teach you the path to win, but you have to follow me, and have patience. I need time and patience and I understood I had that. Maybe I do have time, because the club can give me that, but I think there is no patience at the club.
"I repeat that makes the situation really, really difficult for me. Maybe my past penalises me, you understand? If I was a coach who was a good coach but without a win in my career, I think it would be the perfect situation to enjoy working and growing together.
"But my past is different. My past brings expectation, high expectation. Then if I understand it, I will become the first person to [target]. I don’t want to kill myself. I am really happy to work here and stay here, but at the same time, I have to take all the considerations, also for myself. If I have to put the stress and pressure only to myself, it is not right."
At that point, Conte began to rise from his seat, saying: "Yeah. Right. Okay? Thank you very much."
He walked out of the room and Tottenham fans will no doubt be left wondering whether the Italian is heading towards a more permanent exit in the weeks ahead.
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