Will Tottenham look for a new manager at the end of the season? Who are the main candidates for the job?

Antonio Conte’s spell at Tottenham has come to an end. It was only a matter of time before the Italian was going to be relieved of his duties at the north London club after his recent post-match explosion.

Fans have criticised his style of play and the attitudes of certain Tottenham players have also been questioned. Conte has to take responsibility, too; he was appointed on a mega-money deal, but couldn’t get his head around the club’s inability to improve and challenge at the very top.

Conte has had his off-the-field issues during his time at the Premier League club, including his own personal health problems and he has had to deal with the death of some close friends in recent months. Spurs’ fitness coach Gian Piero Ventrone passed away in October, Sinisa Mihajlovic in the middle of December, and former Chelsea striker Gianluca Vialli in January of this year – three men that Conte called friends.

“Antonio is upset and sad,” new Tottenham caretaker boss Cristian Stellini said after the death of Vialli. “Every one of us is. We are close to Vialli’s family and all the people that loved Vialli. He is an important person in Italy and also in England. For us, he was a great player but first of all, he was a great man. He taught us a lot of things.”

The now-former Tottenham manager also lived away from his wife and daughter, who continued to live in Italy during his spell in London.

Stellini steps in

Conte’s longstanding assistant Stellini previously worked with him at Sienna, Juventus and Inter Milan and Conte coached him as a player at Italian side Bari. Stellini took charge of Spurs this season when Conte was dealing with his own health issues and the 48-year-old, from the small Italian town of Cuggiono, has been given the job until the end of the current campaign.

“Cristian Stellini will take the team as Acting Head Coach for the remainder of the season, along with Ryan Mason as Assistant Head Coach,” Tottenham said in a statement released on Sunday night.

See also:

Will Spurs appoint a new manager in the summer?

Several names have been linked with the Tottenham job. Former Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino remains an option after his brief spell with PSG. Pochettino guided the London club to the 2019 Champions League final, where they lost 2-0 to Liverpool in Madrid. Pochettino has reportedly stayed on good terms with Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy. The two shared a strong relationship during Pochettino’s five-year stint at the club.

De Zerbi, Luis Enrique, Nagelsmann

Other names that could make Levy’s managerial shortlist are Brigton’s Roberto De Zerbi and Brentford’s Thomas Frank, who have taken their respective clubs into the top of half of the Premier League this season. Former Spain and Barcelona coach Luis Enrique has never managed in the Premier League and after leaving La Roja post-World Cup, could consider a move to England. The Asturian coach does speak English and would bring a wealth of experience to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Julian Nagelsmann is a free agent after being sacked recently by Bayern Munich. Spurs tried to appoint the 35-year-old tactician after Pochettino was let go in 2019, and again in 2021.

For now, Stellini is in charge, but Levy will be working behind the scenes on potential summer options as Spurs look to qualify for next season’s Champions League.