Conte: 'I could be sacked before the end of the season'
"I'm out of contract in June. But they can sack me before the season is over," Conte said after the 0-0 draw in the second leg of the Champions League round of 16. "Perhaps the expectations are higher and they might be disappointed? It's important for a coach to try to work and raise the standard. This year we have a hard time raising the bar."
Conte's contract expires on June 30 and Tottenham have the option to extend it for another year. In January, Sky Sports Italy reported that Tottenham had offered a new deal, but the 53-year-old coach has not responded and just wants to decide on his future at the end of the season. Conte said he has a good relationship with chairman Daniel Levy and that Tottenham also understand his thoughts.
Yesterday, Conte reappeared, directly directing after more than a month of absence due to gallbladder surgery. But the arrival of the Italian coach and being able to play at home did not help Tottenham overwhelm. The hosts' best chances were a header by captain Harry Kane from Son Heung-min's cross and a shot from inside the box by Pierre Hojbjerg, but both were saved by goalkeeper Mike Maignan.
Tottenham were disillusioned upstream when central defender Cristian Romero entered the ball more aggressively than necessary with Theo Hernandez and received a second yellow card in the 77th minute. They even nearly conceded a goal when Divock Origi hit the post in stoppage time. . The 0-0 result in the second leg caused Tottenham to lose 0-1 to Milan over two legs and become the first Premier League team to be eliminated in the 1/8 round of the Champions League.
In the stands, fans booed when Tottenham would most likely go through the 16th consecutive season empty-handed. Before leaving the continental arena, "Rooster" lost to lower-class rival Sheffield United 0-1 in the fifth round of the FA Cup, lost to Nottingham Forest 0-2 in the third round of the League Cup and finished fourth in the English Premier League, inferior Arsenal top 18 points.
Conte apologized to the fans and admitted Tottenham did not have a solid platform to compete, fight and race for titles. "It's important to know this or hope for a miracle that one day a title will come to us. I understand the fans are impatient because it's been a long time since Tottenham won the league. but what I can promise is that we will continue to work and try to improve," he stressed.
Tottenham's stop in the 1/8 round extended Conte's poor results in the Champions League. The Italian coach's best achievement was in the quarter-finals of the 2012-2013 season, where he and Juventus lost to Bayern with a total score of 0-4. The rest, Conte has been eliminated three times in the group stage and twice in the round of 16.
A positive goal for Tottenham for the rest of the season is to protect its position in the Top 4, starting with the match against Nottingham Forest in the 27th round of the Premier League on March 11.
