Paulo Fonseca has revealed that he was ‘very close’ to becoming Tottenham Hotspur manager last year.
The former Roma boss was among the many managerial names linked with replacing Jose Mourinho in North London.
The Lilywhites ultimately hired Nuno Espirito Santo after virtually every other target faded away – including Fonseca.
After the Portuguese, Spurs were then linked with hiring Gennaro Gattuso.
And Corriere Dello Sport reported at the time that Fonseca felt ‘betrayed‘ that the Londoners’ managing director, Fabio Paratici, didn’t tell him that he was no longer an option.
Speaking to Il Romanista, the 49-year-old said: “Today in England, there are the best teams and the best football in the world. At the beginning of the season, I was very close to Tottenham, but that didn’t materialise.”
In hindsight, Fonseca probably would’ve been a better appointment than Nuno.
The former Wolverhampton Wanderers manager only lasted a matter of months at Tottenham before being axed by Daniel Levy.
However, without Nuno, Spurs would never have hired Antonio Conte, who is one of the game’s most decorated and high-profile managers.
And if the Italian leads Tottenham to big things, then Nuno’s failure – and Fonseca’s failure to get the job – will ultimately have been worth it.
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