Cristian Stellini confirms that Tottenham Hotspur will not be in touch with Antonio Conte during the match against Marseille
Set to take charge for the first time, Tottenham Hotspur assistant coach Cristian Stellini has confirmed that Antonio Conte will serve his ban as per stipulations in the match against Marseille.
Spurs will be without their manager following his sending off last week at home against Sporting CP. Harry Kane appeared to have won the game in stoppage time only for VAR to rule it out. Conte made his feeling clear, much to the ire of the match officials.
The Italian will travel with the squad but will in no way be in touch with them until after the game. According to football.london, Stelliniwho took the press conference in the manager’s stead, confirmed the same.
Conte will be in the stadium but will in no way be allowed to talk to his players, even at half-time. It would appear that the final tactical instructions by the Italian will be dished out in the team coach en route to the arena.
“We are not allowed to speak with Antonio in half-time. He will stay on the coach with the players [before arriving at the stadium], normally we use a different coach and then we will divide our way.”
“We will go in the dressing room and Antonio will go in another seat. Then 15 minutes after the game we are able to speak again.”
The game is a crucial one for Spurs with qualification for the last 16 on the line. A win will see them finish top of the group while a defeat will see them crash out. A draw might be enough but playing for one would be a risky approach.
In situations like these, it is imperative that the club has its manager on the sidelines, to adapt and respond to situations accordingly. Unfortunately, Conte will not be able to do that it will be a big miss for Tottenham.
Stellini admits to the same but also has called for togetherness from the rest of the coaching staff in what could be a thrilling evening of football.
“That changes a lot, the presence of a coach like Conte is indespensible, especially in a tough match like this. We have to prepare ourselves.”
With nothing less than a win needed for Marseille, the French side will be banking on home support to boost their chances of a result. With or without Conte, Tottenham cannot afford to soak in the pressure and are better off playing their natural game.
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Being knocked out of the UEFA Champions League would be a disaster for Tottenham given their ambitions and summer spending spree. Conte’s absence on the sidelines could work in our favour, urging the players to come together and secure a result for their manager.
