Atletico Madrid star Matt Doherty defenders Antonio Conte’s Tottenham Hotspur rant
Antonio Conte went on an unprecedented verbal tirade aimed at Tottenham Hotspur after their 3-3 Premier League draw this weekend at St. Mary’s.
He called the players selfish and questioned the club’s winning mentality. Conte did not hold back and questioned the way the club was run, and why they hadn’t won a trophy since 2008.
This isn’t pleasant for any player to hear. If he was so livid in the press, one can imagine the verbal thrashing Spurs players would have had in the dressing room.
Or worse, they may not have had a verbal thrashing, which would then show that Conte has given up on his time at Spurs. Nevertheless, one player who left Conte’s Tottenham in January was Matt Doherty.
Donherty defends Conte
The Republic of Ireland international had his contract terminated so he could join Atletico Madrid on a permanent transfer until the end of the season. It was initially supposed to be a loan deal, but Spurs had to terminate his contract as they had filled the maximum number of players they can allow to go out on loan.
Now, the former Wolverhampton Wanderers wing-back, who was there at the club when Conte replaced Nuno Espirito Santo in 2021, has come out to defend his former boss. He said:
“I hope he stays for a long time at Tottenham. [An] unbelievable coach and manager, he won’t say anything in the press that he won’t say to his players.
“He’s completely honest with his players and he has the passion for the whole club. So for me I hope Tottenham stick by him and hold on to him for as long as possible as he’s one of the best managers of all time.”
Doherty’s comments should diffuse the situation a bit, especially those who would say that Conte ranted in such a manner so that the club could fire him and release him from his misery.
But it is easy to comment on this with a cool head when you are no longer involved in the mess. It will be interesting to see what the Tottenham squad feels about the rant. They were, after all, publicly targeted by Conte and labeled ‘selish’ after the draw at St. Mary’s this weekend.
