Furious Antonio Conte branded his players “selfish” and claimed there was a rotten culture at Tottenham in an extraordinary rant last night.
And the Italian said the club needed to “change this situation” or the manager as he flirts with the sack.
The Tottenham boss branded his team’s performance at Southampton “unacceptable” after they threw away a two-goal lead at Southampton. This follows the FA Cup defeat at Sheffield United and Champions League elimination this month at a club without a trophy since 2008. And in a blistering 10-minute post-match press conference, the former Italy and Juventus boss said: “We are 11 players that go into the pitch. I see selfish players, I see players that don't want to help each other and don't put their heart.
"Being a team, it is the most important thing. To understand that we play for the badge. We have to play to make our fans proud of us. We have to pay to show desire. The fire in your eyes to win. If you have this , for sure, you don't go out in FA Cup. Today you win.
“Here we're used to it for a long time. The club has the responsibility for the transfer market, every coach that stayed here has the responsibility. And the players? The players? Where are the players? In my experience, I can tell you that if you want to be competitive, if you want to fight, you have to improve this aspect. And this aspect, I can tell you, in this moment is really, really low. And I see only 11 players that play for themselves."
Conte is out of contract at the end of the season and set to leave in the summer. Chairman Daniel Levy was at St Mary’s today.
Asked the uncertainty over his future was affecting the players, the Italian shot back: “You are finding an alibi, another alibi. You try to find an excuse for the players.
“Come on, come on, come on. We are professional. The club pay us a lot of money. The players receive money, me receive money, you understand? Not to find excuse or not show spirit or show a sense of belonging or don't show a sense of responsibility because we are showing this.
"For me this is unacceptable because for me this is the first time in my career to see a situation like this. Until now I wasn't able to change, not to change but compare to last season the situation went to become worse.
“Why is it happening? Because they are used to it here, they are used to it. They don't play for something important yeah. They don't want to play under pressure, they don't want to play under stress. It is easy in this way. Tottenham's story is this. 20 years there is the owner and they never won something but why?
"The fault is only for the club, or for every manager that stay here. I have seen the managers that Tottenham had on the bench.
"You risk to disrupt the figure of the manager and to protect the other situation in every moment. Until now I try to hide the situation but now no because I repeat I don't want to see what I have seen today because this is unacceptable and also unacceptable for the fans. They follow us, pay the ticket and to see the team another time to have this type of performance is unacceptable. We have to think a lot about this.”
Spurs remain in fourth place and in the running for a Champions League place.
But Conte said: “Until now I try to hide the situation but now, there are 10 games to go and some people think we can fight. Fight for what with his spirit, this attitude, this commitment? What? For seventh, eighth, 10th place? I am not used to this position. I’m really upset and everyone has to take their responsibility.
“Not only the club, the manager and the staff. The players have to be involved in this situation because it is time to change this situation if Tottenham want to change. If they want to continue in this way, they can change the manager, a lot of managers, but the situation cannot change. Believe me.”
