LONDON: Tottenham hired Antonio Conte on Tuesday as its third manager in seven months, handing a return to the Premier League for the title winner with Chelsea.
Conte's contract runs through the end of the 2022-23 season with an option to extend. Conte arrives a day after the firing of Nuno Espirito Santo, who was dismissed for losing half of his 10 Premier League matches in charge.
Conte, who has been out of work since leaving Inter Milan after winning Serie A in May, won the Premier League title and the FA Cup in his two seasons at Chelsea before leaving in 2018.
“I am extremely happy to return to coaching, and to do so at a Premier League club that has the ambition to be a protagonist again," Conte said. “Tottenham Hotspur has state-of-the-art facilities and one of the best stadiums in the world.
“I can’t wait to start working to convey to the team and the fans the passion, mentality and determination that have always distinguished me, as a player and as a coach."
Conte, had previously been in talks with Tottenham about becoming Jose Mourinho’s successor in June, but they could not reach an agreement.
However, managing director Fabio Paratici has since started work at Tottenham and he has a strong relationship with his fellow Italian, having worked together at Juventus.
“Last summer our union did not happen because the end of my relationship with Inter was still too recent and emotionally too involved with the end of the season, so I felt that it wasn’t yet the right time to return to coaching," Conte said. “But the contagious enthusiasm and determination of Daniel Levy in wanting to entrust me with this task had already hit the mark. Now that the opportunity has returned, I have chosen to take it with great conviction.”
Conte is set to be in charge for the Europa Conference League match against Vitesse Arnhem on Thursday, with a Premier League trip to Everton following on Sunday.
“We are delighted to welcome Antonio to the club,” Paratici said. “His track record speaks for itself, with vast experience and trophies in both Italy and England.
“I know first-hand the qualities Antonio can bring to us, having worked with him at Juventus, and look forward to seeing his work with our talented group of players.”
The season started well for Nuno. His team won its first three Premier League games, helping him win August’s manager of the month.
However, Tottenham lost five of its next seven games. The losses to West Ham and Manchester United in the last two league matches have seen Tottenham go 2 hours, 16 minutes without having a shot on target.