Antonio Conte Hints At Imminent Tottenham Exit After Defeat At Burnley

Antonio Conte sounded like a manager on the edge after watching his Tottenham Hotspur team lose 1-0 at Burnley on Wednesday night.

The result came just four days after Tottenham's brilliant 3-2 win at Manchester City, but it was their fourth defeat in five Premier League matches.

Conte appeared to criticize the Spurs hierarchy in an interview with the Italian media last week, expressing his frustration at an underwhelming January transfer window.

He later suggested his words has been mistranslated but his message was loud and clear as he spoke to Sky Sports after the loss at Turf Moor.

He said there needed to "be an assessment about the club and about me, because for me it is very frustrating to lose four games in the last five.

"The situation is clear and I am really sorry for the fans, because they don't deserve this. But when you lose four games in the last five games it means that the club has to make an assessment, to speak together and understand what is the best solution."

After being asked to clarify whether he wanted to hold a meeting with his players or his employers, Conte continued: "The players are always the same.

"This club changes the coaches but the players are the same. The result doesn't change.

"I repeat, I am too honest to accept this type of situation and for sure we will make an assessment with the club.

"It is not right, it is not good for everybody to continue to lose. I can't accept this and it's not good for anyone."

Conte is under contract at Spurs until June 2023 but it seems likely that he may be gone much sooner.

In another post-match interview, Conte appeared to hint that he would be prepared to resign, rather than wait to be sacked like his predecessors.

"Maybe I'm not so good," he said, as quoted by LancsLive. "Tottenham called me to change things but I'm too honest.

"I could just take my salary but I'm too honest."

Antonio Conte screams in frustration as his Tottenham side lose to Burnley at a rainy Turf Moor

IMAGO/Philip Bryan