Alexis Sanchez and Igor Tudor know Antonio Conte well so they understand fully what Tottenham will miss on the touchline in their Champions League group stage decider against Marseille.
Conte is suspended and not allowed on the touchline or in the dressing room, preventing him from communicating with his Spurs squad at the stadium before, during or immediately after the crunch Champions League final group stage game away against the French side on Tuesday night.
The Italian was shown a red card in the aftermath of the VAR decision against Sporting CP last week that ruled out what would have been a late Harry Kane winner.
READ MORE: Tottenham press conference live: Cristian Stellini and Hojbjerg on Conte ban and who travelled
One man who will be in the home dugout at the Orange Velodrome on Tuesday evening is one of Conte's former Juventus team-mates in Tudor. The ex-Croatia defender is now the manager of Marseille and he admits that the Italian's absence from the touchline is a slight advantage for his team, but it will not decide the match.
"It’s good! He has a good impact on the game so it is better that he is not there, but the players are playing, not the coaches," he said.
"Tomorrow we have a great game ahead of us. It really is a top opportunity for the boys to reach the knock-out of the Champions League. We’ve had five good games so we need to build on that, but don’t forget we are an outsider. So any chance to get to the knock-out stage is great for us."
He added: "No-one wins with just desire. You win with a good plan and by avoiding mistakes. It’s the game of the year due to the importance of this fixture. If we win we qualify for the next round of the Champions League, that’s something we haven’t managed for [a long time]."
Former Arsenal striker Alexis Sanchez, who now plays for Marseille, also knows Conte well, having been part of his Serie A-winning squad at Inter.
"He was a very demanding coach, if you don’t give 100% on pitch then you are dropped from the next game, but it will be great to play against him tomorrow," said the Chilean.
On his past with the other team in north London: "I have great affection for Arsenal from my time there beating Spurs every time was a great joy, it was very special and they are days I will always cherish."
"Every single player has motivation to play and win, we want to bring the victory back, especially playing in front of the fans and the atmosphere will drive us on."
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