Antonio Conte leaves Tottenham after Newcastle were told to hire him

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Newcastle United’s top four rivals Tottenham Hotspur have officially parted company with Antonio Conte.

It was announced on Sunday night that Conte was leaving Spurs, in what could be a huge moment in the race to qualify for the Champions League. Tottenham are currently fourth, but sit just two points above Eddie Howe’s Newcastle.

Now Spurs have made a major change, with Cristian Stellini set to take charge for the rest of the season.

Antonio Conte’s Tottenham departure was inevitable

The decision comes after Conte’s incredible outburst to the media following the 3-3 draw with Southampton before the international break. He took aim at the players and the culture of the club, making his position untenable.

An exit loomed – it was a case of when rather than if. It was reported last week that Daniel Levy was going to get rid of Conte, and now that has become a reality.

In a short statement, Levy said: “We have 10 Premier League games remaining and we have a fight on our hands for a Champions League place. We all need to pull together. Everyone has to step up to ensure the highest possible finish for our Club and amazing, loyal supporters.”

Those words from the Spurs owner will interest Newcastle, as Howe’s side are the major reason why they have such a ‘fight on their hands’ to finish in the top four.

Newcastle have momentum right now, while Tottenham do not. Now a change has been made, and it will be interesting to see if Conte’s departure galvanises Harry Kane and co.

Newcastle were told to appoint him in 2021

While Newcastle have been flying high under Eddie Howe as Conte struggles with Spurs, it could have been very different had the Magpies gone down a different route back in 2021.

The new Toon owners were looking for a replacement for Steve Bruce, with some major names linked with taking over at St James’ Park – one of which was Conte.

One report claimed that 53-year-old was open to talking to Newcastle about a move to the North East. Meanwhile, it was claimed in Italy that Conte, who was a free agent at the time, was the club’s top choice to become manager.

That is what some former players wanted. Michael Chopra stated that Conte would be the right choice, while Jose Enrique agreed due to his history of winning trophies.

Now it looks like appointing Conte would have been a disaster. He has served up some turgid football for the Tottenham fans, and has proven unable to take them to the next level.

Conte was absolutely not what Newcastle needed back in 2021, when we were still battling to avoid relegation. He is not what we need in 2023 either, with his latest stint in the Premier League seriously damaging his reputation.