Tottenham are reportedly putting in a contingency plan in case Antonio Conte leaves at the end of the season, and Atletico Madrid boss Diego Simeone tops the list – a manager Conte once labelled “world class” while at Chelsea.
Simeone, 52, is just three games away from clocking up 600 matches as manager of Atletico. Joining the La Liga side in 2011, he is in his 12th term with the Spanish side. But Simeone is closer to an Atletico exit than ever before.
Italian outlet CalcioMercato report that Atletico’s Champions League exit has pushed Simeone closer to leaving – albeit next summer. Tottenham are keeping tabs on the Argentine, according to a report from CMW, if Conte goes.
So, Simeone could be in the Tottenham dugout – replacing Conte. Speaking about Simeone back in 2017 while at Chelsea, Conte was full of praise of Simeone ahead of a Champions League clash against his Atletico Madrid side.
“Diego is a great coach. He is having great results with Atletico Madrid. Doing a fantastic job. I know him well from playing against eachother. I know, for sure, that Diego is one of the best coaches in the world,” Conte said in 2017.
Simeone tops Tottenham list: Conte labelled manager world class
Of course, Tottenham will do everything they can to keep Conte. They have an extension in his current deal, to keep him until 2024. They might even offer Conte a new deal. But surely, they will only do so with Conte’s blessing.
However, if they were to lose Conte and bring in a manager that can continue the fundamentals that Conte has put in – there are little other options that would be better than Simeone. But, Spurs fans do prefer attractive football.
As long as it gets results, Spurs fans will be happy. But if those results do not come, as Conte has found out, there are critics because of his pragmatic style. Simeone is arguably more negative. So, it might not be the ideal fit.
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