Tottenham Hotspur manager Antonio Conte looks on prior to the UEFA Champions League group D match between Tottenham Hotspur and Sporting CP at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on October 26, 2022 in London, England.

Tottenham manager Antonio Conte set to leave, with shortlist drawn up to replace him: report

March 9, 2023 Sports 3 Views

Tottenham Hotspur have drafted a shortlist to replace Antonio Conte as manager at the end of the season.

That’s according to one report that says that the Italian is expected to depart come May when his contract expires, with players having grown tired of his methods. Tottenham have the option to extend Conte’s contract by another year if they choose to.

Last night, AC Milan knocked Spurs out of the Champions League with a goalless draw in north London to secure a 1-0 win on aggregate. It leaves the Lilywhites 15 years without a trophy, following their FA Cup exit and how far they are adrift in the Premier League.

Richarlison frustrated during Tottenham's 0-0 draw with Milan — Richarlison frustrated during Tottenham’s 0-0 draw with Milan (Image credit: Getty Images)

After a tough season for Conte, both personally and professionally, there is an acceptance that he could well be off at the end of the season. The Athletic (opens in new tab) are reporting that Thomas Tuchel and Mauricio Pochettino remain the frontrunners – though there are a number of leftfield candidates on the list.

Pochettino remains the popular pick with fans, while Tuchel represents an option who has plenty of trophy-winning experience. The state of the current squad, however, coupled with potentially more appealing opportunities could be blow to landing either. Real Madrid may part ways with Carlo Ancelotti in the summer – Los Blancos remain fans of both coaches – while Tuchel is thought to be of interest to Bayern Munich.

Beyond those two, Marco Silva of Fulham and Thomas Frank of Brentford have been touted as potential options to take charge. Both have their west London sides flying in the Premier League and both could be tasked with a full-scale rebuild of the side.

Ryan Mason, who coaches at Tottenham, is highly-regarded, too – the ex-Spurs midfielder may be a little young to take charge at 32, though Mikel Arteta at Arsenal is a good example for Mason to be a strong pick, despite the rivalry.

Mauricio Pochettino of Paris Saint-Germain reacts during the UEFA Champions League Round Of Sixteen Leg Two match between Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on March 09, 2022 in Madrid, Spain

Mauricio Pochettino is favourite to return to Tottenham (Image credit: David Ramos/Getty Images)

Steve Cooper is also touted by The Athletic. Another option may well be former Tottenham star Michael Carrick, who is excelling in the Championship with Middlesbrough, while Luis Enrique, Ralph Hasenhuttl and Bruno Lage are the headline managers out of work right now.

Tottenham face Nottingham Forest this weekend.