Antonio Conte issued Daniel Levy warning by ex-Tottenham boss – ‘Isn’t easy to deal with’
Antonio Conte: In profile
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Tottenham boss Antonio Conte has been warned about chairman Daniel Levy by former head coach Andre Villas-Boas. Conte was appointed by Levy on Tuesday after Nuno Espirito Santo was sacked.
The Italian will take charge of his first game tonight after having his work permit application successfully approved.
Spurs host Vitesse hoping to boost their chances of qualifying from the Europa Conference League group.
Conte has a tough task turning around the poor form overseen by Nuno. The Portuguese led Spurs to five Premier League defeats in their 10 matches and also lost to Vitesse in Europe.
Levy tried appointing the 52-year-old prior to hiring Nuno but could not come to an agreement. Conte has since hailed his chairman’s enthusiasm and determination.
“The contagious enthusiasm and determination of Daniel Levy in wanting to entrust me with this task had already hit the mark,” Conte said upon his announcement.
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“Now that the opportunity has returned, I have chosen to take it with great conviction.”
But now, Conte has been warned about his boss by former head coach Villas-Boas. The Portuguese was appointed in 2012 and oversaw a positive start but was sacked a couple of months into his second season.
Villas-Boas, who was most recently Marseille coach, has claimed that Levy can be difficult to deal with due to a lack of clarity.
“For Antonio it will be a challenge, a great challenge,” Villas-Boas, who recorded 44 wins in 80 games in charge, said of Conte’s appointment.
“We have a Premier League-winning coach in Antonio, going to a club with the best stadium in England and the best training facilities in Europe or the world. But you always see that something is missing at Spurs.
“Daniel has had a coach that took the club to a Champions League final (Mauricio Pochettino) and one of the most successful coaches in the world coaching his team in Jose Mourinho.
“It’s up to him and (owner) Joe Lewis to decide what they want for the organisation. But it’s a difficult organisation because of that lack of clarity.”
He added: “I don’t want to turn this into a criticism of Daniel.
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“Everybody has their ups and downs, strengths and weaknesses, but Daniel is not an easy person to deal with.
“There are a lot of things that have to be said face to face, each side with truthfulness. But sometimes they look like they don’t happen that way.”
Conte will take charge of his first game against Vitesse before facing his maiden Premier League clash with Everton on Sunday.
He told club channels: “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. 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.”
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