PIERRE-EMILE HOJBJERG has become the first Tottenham player to speak out following Antonio Conte’s public dressing down of the Spurs squad.
Following the club’s capitulation at Southampton, where they led 3-1 but drew the match, Conte blasted his players’ performance as “selfish”.
The irate Italian said: “They don’t play for something important. They don’t want to play under pressure, they don’t want to play under stress.
“It is easy this way. Tottenham’s story is this. For 20 years there is the owner but they never won something but why?
“The fault is only for the club, or for every manager that stays here? I have seen the managers that Tottenham had on the bench.
“Until now I try to hide the situation but not now because, I repeat, I don’t want to see what I have seen today because this is unacceptable and also unacceptable for the fans.”
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SunSport understands the rant left some stars stunned, with some members of the squad calling for Conte to be sacked now.
However, Hojbjerg, 27, came out in defence of his manager, telling reporters in his native Denmark: “We’ve all seen it. [It was a] very honest and very open press conference he gave.
“It is because he is not satisfied. You don’t do that if you’ve reached the quarter-final of the Champions League and if you’re in the semi-final of the FA Cup.
“It comes from the fact that, unfortunately, we did not get the results we as a team and club wanted. We are still where we want and need to be in the Premier League. But yes, it’s hard, I should say.
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“I understand that if you want to be successful as a team, you need 11 men who are committed to a project and a culture.
“But I think he has to elaborate on how he feels before you as a player can start measuring and weighing.
“The coach has not been satisfied, and that is what I will take with me. You do what you can to please him.
“What I do know about myself is that I am an honest player. I am a player who always gives 100 per cent of myself for the team.”
The 3-3 draw saw Spurs give up the chance to leapfrog Manchester United into third place.
Conte’s rant also saw him take aim at the club’s hierarchy, adding to reports he will be sacked later this week.
Asked about Conte’s future, Hojbjerg said: “Fortunately, I am not the one to judge it.
“If that’s how he sees it, then you have to be a little more precise in order for you as a player to take it to heart.”
He later added: “He didn’t tell us what he wanted to say at the press conference.
“But it is clear that you work with each other every day, you want the best for each other and you want to be successful together. And sometimes the waves go high in football.”
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A number of coaches have been linked with the Spurs gig, including fan favourite Mauricio Pochettino and Eintracht Frankfurt boss Oliver Glasner.
However, this is set to see Spurs reportedly fork out a staggering £15million severance package.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
