Antonio Conte: Tottenham announce former Chelsea boss as new head coach after sacking Nuno Espirito Santo

Conte, who won the Premier League and FA Cup with Chelsea, was most recently manager of Inter Milan

(Tottenham Hotspur/Getty)

Tottenham have announced Antonio Conte as their new head coach.

The Italian has been appointed on an 18-month contract – with the option of an extension – that is believed to make him the highest-paid manager in Spurs’ history.

Conte’s arrival follows the sacking of Nuno Espirito Santo, who lasted just four months in charge and saw his tenure end on Monday after a 3-0 home defeat by Manchester United at the weekend.

Nuno joined Spurs in June after the north London club failed to persuade Conte to replace Jose Mourinho, who was fired in April after a 17-month spell as manager.

Conte, who won the Premier League and FA Cup with Chelsea between 2016 and 2018, was most recently coach of Inter Milan. The 52-year-old ended the Italian club’s 10-year wait for a trophy last season after he guided them to their first Serie A title since 2010.

He left Inter a matter of days after his side’s league triumph, reportedly due to disagreements with the club’s board over transfer business for the 2021/22 season. A similar sticking point is said to have arisen in Conte’s discussions with Tottenham in spring, preventing him from joining the Premier League side at that point.

“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 upon the announcement of his arrival at Spurs.

“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.

“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.

“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.”

Spurs’ sporting director Fabio Paratici added: “We are delighted to welcome Antonio to the club. 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.”

A Spurs statement, meanwhile, read: “Further news on Antonio’s coaching staff will follow in due course.”

With Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s position at Man United seemingly under threat this month, Conte had been rumoured as a potential successor to the Norwegian, but the Red Devils’ emphatic Premier League win at Spurs on Saturday seems to have temporarily relieved pressure on Solskjaer.

Former Italy midfielder Conte, who made just shy of 300 appearances for Juventus between 1991 and 2004, went on to coach Juve from 2011 to 2014. He guided the Turin club to three straight Serie A titles and two Supercoppa trophies.

He also managed the Italian national team between 2014 and 2016, immediately before his spell at Chelsea. Prior to coaching Italy, Conte managed Atalanta, Siena, Bari and Arezzo.

He joins Spurs with the club ninth in the Premier League table.