Jakarta –
Tottenham Hotspur and Antonio Conte finally agreed to end the collaboration. Ex player Arsenal Martin Keown believes Arsenal played a role in Conte’s departure.
Conte and Tottenham have officially parted ways. Conte left Tottenham by mutual agreement which was announced on Sunday (26/3/2023) evening local time.
Before leaving, Conte was angry at the press conference after the match against Southampton. The Italian coach made scathing criticism for the club and called the players selfish.
Martin Keown believes that was not the only factor driving Conte’s departure. The fact that Arsenal are currently far ahead of Tottenham in the Premier League standings is also considered to add to the pressure for The Lilywhites.
Conte last season brought Tottenham to a top four finish by overtaking Arsenal in recent weeks. However, this season, Arsenal went one step further by becoming a candidate for the Premier League title.
“I think they should have kept him until the end of the season, no doubt about it,” Keown told talkSPORT.
Asked whether his remarks were motivated by the fact he had ties to Arsenal, Keown replied: “No, but since you mentioned it I think Arsenal had a part to play.”
“The fact that Arsenal are 20 points clear of Spurs and last year they were both chasing the top four puts Spurs under immense pressure,” Keown continued.
“But it’s more about what happened in March. Getting knocked out of the FA Cup, what happened against AC Milan, the 3-3 against Southampton… March was sad for them.”
“(Conte) knew he was going to leave. He wanted to stay and needed to say what was wrong at the club and they had to make an assessment,” he said.
(nds/pur)
