Cristian Stellini discusses season 'with a THOUSAND problems' at Spurs
Cristian Stellini shares his thoughts on the season ‘with a THOUSAND problems’ at Tottenham – as he reveals the impact of Antonio Conte’s illness and the death of Gian Piero Ventrone on Spurs’ turbulent campaign
- Cristian Stellini oversaw a month in charge after the sacking of Antonio Conte
- But after Spurs’ humiliating 6-1 defeat to Newcastle, the Italian was dismissed
- But one high point came when Spurs beat champions Manchester City at home
Cristian Stellini shared his feelings about his season with ‘a thousand problems’ at Tottenham two months after he was sacked as interim manager from the north London club.
The Italian manager came to Spurs in 2021 as assistant manager under Antonio Conte, and was handed the reins after the former Inter Milan boss left by mutual consent under dramatic circumstances in March.
Conte’s explosive 10-minute rant on his players and the club itself was the death knell on his turbulent two years at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, and his assistant only lasted an additional month in the capital before he was replaced by Ryan Mason.
Tottenham were unable to rise above issues off the pitch, struggling through the remainder of the season to finsh eighth.
As a result, Spurs will play their first season without European football for the first time since the 2009-10 campaign.
Cristian Stellini has shared his thoughts on the season with ‘a thousand problems’ at Spurs
Stellini and Antone Conte (right) previously worked together during Conte’s spells at Inter Milan and Juventus
But in an interview with Tutto Mercato Web, Stellini stressed that circumstance had played a large role in the direction of the team’s somewhat lacklustre season.
‘The experience you gain by being close to top-level professionals helps you gain experience at certain times,’ Stellini said on the site’s Radio Sport podcast.
‘It was a difficult season, I think it was a season never experienced like this, because it was crowned with a thousand problems and dramatic situations.
‘(Gian Piero) Ventrone’s death was devastating for us and with the World Cup in between, everything was generally difficult.
‘Mister Conte was also ill, so it was very complicated. It’s a year that will help everyone for the future.’
The death of Ventrone, the fitness coach who had worked with Conte since the 1990s, and who had forged a strong connection with the players, came in October 2022.
The 61-year-old coach had been diagnosed with leukaemia, but his death was believed to be sudden.
Conte and his coaching team took time off during the season to attend his funeral in Naples, and the death of their close friend is believed to have deeply affected the group.
Conte’s own health battle, which saw him take less than two weeks recovery in February after undergoing gall bladder surgery the previous month, was another ‘complication’ that disconnected the coach from his players.
But there were bright spells to Conte and Stellini’s time in north London, a primary one being Tottenham’s impressive record against the treble-winning Manchester City.
Few teams were able to face off against the champions and come off the better, but Tottenham manage the feat at home in February, when they beat Pep Guardiola’s side 1-0 despite going a man down after Cristian Romero picked up a red card.
The club and its coaching staff were deeply affected by the death of Gian Piero Ventrone (left)
Harry Kane became Tottenham’s record goalscorer after netting to beat Manchester City
‘We were the last team in the Premier League to beat them before the Champions League final,’ Stellini added.
‘We actually faced City at a time when they weren’t in the best shape, they had had many in the World Cup and had yet to get back to their best. We were very brave but they were good at defending and restarting.’
Sharing his thoughts on the Champions League final and the fortunes of his former club, Stellini continued: ‘I was convinced that Inter would have made a good final, but when you have an opportunity you have to exploit it. I was struck by the fact that Guardiola added some tactical tricks in the possession phase to limit Inter and hit her.
‘The move didn’t work because Inter were good at responding and bridling Guardiola’s play. City were good at hitting in the only real opportunity they had, while Inter weren’t lucky to score.’
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