Jose Mourinho refused to be drawn on whether former Chelsea manager Antonio Conte could spark an upturn in fortunes at Premier League Tottenham Hotspur, speaking to Sky Italia.
Given the tense relationship between two of the most competitive coaches of the modern era – you can criticise a man’s tactics but never come for his hair – Mourinho was never likely to issue a gushing response when asked about a man who has succeeded him as the manager of Chelsea, Inter and now Spurs.
Conte signed an 18-month deal with the north London outfit yesterday only 24 hours after Nuno Espirito Santo had been given his marching orders by Daniel Levy.
Can Antonio Conte do better than Jose Mourinho or Nuno at Tottenham?
“(Conte) is a good coach but Nuno Espirito Santo is also a very good coach who had done well for four or five years at Wolverhampton (Wanderers). I can’t say Tottenham have a good coach now, they had one before,” Mourinho grumbled.
“They have (a good coach) now and they already had it (before).”
Mourinho’s £34 million Roma striker – Tammy Abraham – was more effusive when discussing a man he knows from his formative years at Stamford Bridge.
“I had the pleasure of being coached by Conte, I know his abilities. I’m sure he will make Tottenham grow a lot,” explains the England international, who has scored just twice in 11 Serie A appearances despite a largely impressive start to life in the Italian capital.
Conte, who guided Juventus, Inter and Chelsea to domestic glory while taking an unfancied Italy side to the latter stages of Euro 2016, is expected to make his Tottenham managerial debut in tomorrow’s Europa League group-stage clash with Vitesse Arnhem followed by Sunday’s trip to Everton.
Nuno departed with Tottenham ninth in the table, although the gap between themselves and London rivals West Ham United in the Champions League places is only five points.
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