The race for Champions League qualification from the Premier League seems at the moment to be governed by two immutable laws: Even after all this time, Tottenham will always find new forms of ineptitude with which to disappoint its fans and amuse the rest of the world; and Tottenham must always be in the top four.
Antonio Conte’s reign as Tottenham manager had ended during the international break, his postmatch rant after his side had thrown away a 3–1 lead to draw 3–3 with the Premier League’s bottom side, Southampton, proving the final straw. His contract was set to expire in the summer, and nobody wanted him there any longer—not players, not fans, not Conte, himself—so when he hinted the long-term chairman Daniel Levy might be responsible for the culture at the club, his departure felt inevitable. But the temporary accession of former Conte assistant Cristian Stellini has not ushered in a new age, quite the contrary—not even after managing director Fabio Paratici took a leave of absence while appeals are heard against his global ban from the game, imposed in Italy after his former club Juventus was convicted of false accounting.
IMAGO/Propaganda Photo
