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      Hojbjerg becomes first Tottenham star to publicly respond to Conte’s explosive rant about ‘selfish’ players

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      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”.
      Pierre-Emile Hojberg was the first player to publicly respond Antonio Conte’s rantCredit: EPA
      Hojberg defended the Italian despite him labelling Spurs players as ‘selfish’Credit: PA
      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. More

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      Tottenham stars ‘in contact with Mauricio Pochettino about return as manager’ with Antonio Conte to be sacked in DAYS

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      TOTTENHAM players have reportedly been in contract with former manager Mauricio Pochettino about a return to the club.Pochettino has been out of a job since leaving PSG in June 2022.
      Antonio is facing the sack at Spurs after his comments following the draw against SouthamptonCredit: Reuters
      Players have reportedly been talking to former boss Mauricio Pochettino about a return to the clubCredit: Getty
      Current Spurs boss Antonio Conte is on the edge of being sacked after his scathing rant following the team’s 3-3 draw against Southampton.
      And according to Sky Sports, the club’s players have been in contact with Pochettino about a return to the club.
      It is believed that the Argentine would take the job if he was offered a return to North London.
      Pochettino is thought to have “remained on good terms” with chairman Daniel Levy.
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      The report also suggests that the manager has turned down roles in the last eight months.
      The club’s fans have made their wishes known as they chanted the former manager’s name after Spurs were knocked out of the Champions League by AC Milan.
      A video posted on social media showed them singing: “He’s magic, you know, Mauricio Pochettino.”
      The 51-year-old was sacked by Spurs in 2019 after a five-year spell at the club and replaced by Jose Mourinho.
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      Despite not winning a trophy for Spurs, he guided the club to four consecutive Champions League finishes in his previous spell in charge of the club.
      Prior to his arrival, Spurs had finished in the top four in just two of their previous 22 seasons in the Premier League.
      He also took the club to the Champions League final in 2019, but Liverpool prevailed as they won 2-0.

      After replacing Tim Sherwood in 2014, Poch took charge of 293 games, winning 159, losing 72 and drawing on 62 occasions.
      Spurs could make several changes to their team this summer if Pochettino returns.
      Pochettino would likely want to sign players that would suit his 4-2-3-1 formation, which he used in his previous spell at the club. More

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      Tottenham ‘to be forced to pay out STAGGERING severance package’ to Antonio Conte with boss set to be axed this week

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      TOTTENHAM may have to pay Antonio Conte £15MILLION if they sack him before the end of the season, according to reports.News emerged on Monday evening that Spurs are preparing to dismiss the Italian, 53, later this week.
      Antonio Conte is reportedly set to be sacked this weekCredit: Getty
      It comes after Conte’s astonishing outburst on Saturday – which followed his side relinquishing a 3-1 lead to draw 3-3 with lowly Southampton.
      According to 90Min, there is a clause in the manager’s contract that means he must be paid £15m – the sum of his yearly salary – if he were to be sacked before the end of his deal.
      Conte’s contract expires at the end of June.
      Even if Spurs are able to get away with paying him his salary up to the end of the season, that will still mean a £4m pay-off.
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      This makes it an extortionately expensive decision for Tottenham if they do decide to axe him before the campaign’s conclusion.
      Conte has previous for securing lucrative severance payments.
      When he was sacked by Chelsea, he ended up being awarded £26.6m for unfair dismissal after taking the case to a tribunal.
      The Lilywhites will be desperate to avoid a similar scenario.
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      Spurs sit fourth in the Premier League table but have played more games than Newcastle, Liverpool and Brighton below them.
      Meanwhile, their wait for silverware has extended to more than 15 years after they were knocked out in the last-16 of the FA Cup by Sheffield United and last-16 of the Champions League by AC Milan.
      After the draw with Saints, Conte exploded with rage in his post-match press conference, saying: “They [the players] 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 un- acceptable for the fans.” More

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      Harry Kane on Real Madrid’s two-man striker wishlist as they target Tottenham star as stop-gap transfer

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      HARRY KANE is reportedly one of TWO strikers on Real Madrid’s shortlist as they seek to secure a temporary replacement for Karim Benzema.The European champions’ long-term plan is to secure Erling Haaland or Kylian Mbappe.
      Harry Kane is being linked with a summer move away from boyhood club TottenhamCredit: Reuters
      Dusan Vlahovic could be set to leave Juventus at the end of the seasonCredit: Getty
      However, they are aware neither of them are set to become available until at least 2024.
      As a result, Carlo Ancelotti’s men are looking for someone to lead the line in the meantime.
      According to AS, Spurs talisman Kane, 29, is a leading candidate to assume that role.
      Juventus forward Dusan Vlahovic, 23, who has scored 20 goals in 49 games for the Italian giants, is the other man being considered by Los Blancos.
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      There is also the possibility of 18-year-old Alvaro Rodriguez being thrown into the side when he joins the squad in the summer.
      But Kane, who is Tottenham’s all-time top scorer with 271 goals 425 games, would provide Real Madrid with a proven threat in front of goal.

      And he could be available at the end of the season as he prepares to enter the final 12 months of his Spurs deal.
      However, any move for Kane – who is also attracting interest from Manchester United – would reportedly have to coincide with Real refusing to extend Benzema’s deal.
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      The Frenchman, 35, who joined Real in 2009, is out of contract in 2024.
      He bagged 44 goals in 46 games last season, helping them win LaLiga and the Champions League – before he scooped the Ballon d’Or.
      And while he has not maintained the same ratio of goals this term, he has still netted 19 times in 29 games.
      During his 14-year stint in the Spanish capital, he has racked up 342 goals in 634 games.
      Karim Benzema is Real Madrid’s second all-time top scorer behind Cristiano RonaldoCredit: Alamy More

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      Antonio Conte’s epic rant was a new low for under-fire Tottenham boss – so why the hell take the job in the first place?

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      WITH every rant, every slur and every Spursy capitulation, we always return to the same old question: “Why the hell did Antonio Conte take this job in the first place?”Conte had snubbed Tottenham in the summer of 2021, when they staged their farcical 72-day search for Jose Mourinho’s replacement and ended up with poor old Nuno ‘Dispirito’ Santo.
      Antonio Conte unleashed an epic rant after Saturday’s draw with SouthamptonCredit: Getty
      Some well-informed sources believe the turbulent Italian accepted the job at the second time of asking in a fit of frustration after being overlooked by Manchester United during the dog days of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s reign.
      Others come up with the more obvious answer that £15million is one hell of a salary to turn down.
      And it is certainly a significant sum to trouser when you consistently react to setbacks by passing the buck to the dressing room and boardroom.
      Imagine earning that much money, yet still feeling free to slaughter your employers and subordinates every time you mess up. Nice work if you can get it.
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      Conte has made it pretty damned clear throughout his 16-month reign that he believes he is slumming it at Spurs.
      But Saturday’s epic tantrum, after his side tossed away a two-goal lead at bottom-club Southampton, plunged new depths in disrespect, as he called out Daniel Levy’s record over 20 years as chairman and branded his players “selfish”.
      Sure, Conte was a title-winner in his three previous club jobs at Juventus, Chelsea and Inter Milan.
      But he must surely have known he was never likely to achieve the same feat at Spurs, the seventh richest club in England.
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      To paraphrase Sir Alex Ferguson’s briefest and greatest team talk: ‘Lad, it’s Tottenham’.
      For the record, though, Spurs did reach the Champions League final four years ago.
      Conte has managed only one quarter-final in six attempts with four different clubs.
      So, perhaps his arrogance should know some bounds.
      Conte’s sneering tone began early on, when he frequently demanded a squad to match Tottenham’s world-class stadium and training ground, as if Levy had somehow got it wrong by building outstanding infrastructure for his club.
      Spurs have recruited well since Conte arrived in November 2021.Rodrigo Bentancur and Dejan Kulusevski were excellent signings in January last year, playing significant parts in Spurs qualifying for this season’s Champions League.
      And last summer’s window was as good as Conte, or anyone else, could have reasonably expected.
      They bought quality and experience and, unusually for Levy, they bought early.
      Yet Conte wants no responsibility for the fact players with the impressive pedigree of Richarlison, Ivan Perisic, Yves Bissouma and Clement Lenglet have all bombed.
      Daniel Levy is reportedly ready to get rid of Conte this weekCredit: PA
      Under Conte, Spurs are often a desperately dull and predictable watch, as exemplified when they blew excellent chances of progress in two knockout competitions.
      Defeats by Sheffield United in the FA Cup and AC Milan in the Champions League seemed entirely avoidable.
      Harry Kane was benched for the trip to Bramall Lane. Had Spurs won there, they would have enjoyed a quarter-final at home to Blackburn and might be looking forward to a Wembley semi-final against a Manchester City side they have  regularly beaten in recent seasons.
      Against AC Milan, Spurs were passive and overly cautious when chasing a 1-0 first-leg deficit.
      Had they won, they would be facing an inviting half of the draw with Napoli, Inter and Benfica.
      Another Champions League final appearance might well have been on the cards.
      It’s difficult to say exactly which Spurs players Conte regards as “selfish”. A lot of them aren’t playing very well, some simply aren’t good enough. But “selfish”?
      The only obvious recent example of selfishness was Cristian Romero being sent off for two reckless challenges against Milan.
      Poor performances against Sheffield United, Wolves, AC Milan and Southampton has left Spurs’ season stumbling towards an unsatisfactory conclusionCredit: Getty
      And Conte seemed to give his Argentinian World Cup winner a free pass by accusing his team of being “too soft” in the aftermath of that Champions League exit.
      Conte is a demanding manager capable of short-term success.
      But he is also a tiresome bore, who even accused Roman Abramovich of not spending enough money during his prolonged second-season meltdown at Chelsea.
      Now he clearly wants out of Spurs and many players will bid him good riddance. We should not forget Conte has suffered bereavements and a serious bout of ill health this season.
      He probably needs a rest, physically and mentally.
      Although, as author Adam Powley put it so brilliantly on Twitter: “Conte is the only man in medical history to have his gallbladder removed yet be able to store up more bile.”
      Conte for Spurs was a marriage of inconvenience for both parties and divorce is long overdue.
      Spurs must now rebuild under an ambitious, upwardly mobile boss. And certainly not one who suggests he is doing them some sort of favour by picking up his vast salary.
      Gareth’s mo-role support
      So are England players role models or not?
      Gareth Southgate happily lauds his men as such when they take admirable stands for social justice, but he wasn’t so big on the whole ‘setting an example’ thing when he named Ivan Toney and Kyle Walker in his squad to face Italy and Ukraine.
      Toney has admitted to many of the 262 breaches of FA betting rules he has been charged  with, while Walker was dealt with by a police ‘out-of-court disposal’ after an alleged incident of indecent exposure.
      The England chief says he is ‘no moral judge’. In truth, he is more than willing to be a moral judge when England players behave morally, just not when they’re gambling and flashing.
      Shabby Palace
      Crystal Palace always seemed like one of the last bastions of down-to-Earth old-school decency in the Premier League.
      Yet for a man as great as Patrick Vieira to have been dismissed over the phone — two days before a trip to his beloved Arsenal and with a kindly run of fixtures up next for the Eagles — was one of the shabbiest sackings English football has known.
      Now we may witness a third ‘retirement’ in as many seasons from Roy Hodgson.
      Palace have stopped looking forward and  are swiftly heading backwards.
      AD ENOUGH
      Wolves have had a shocking run of refereeing decisions since the World Cup.
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      So it seems unfair to applaud a bad refereeing decision which went against them — but we’ll try.
      When Adama Traore refused to play to the whistle after a slight shirt pull and allowed Leeds through to score their final goal in the 4-2 win at Molineux, ref Michael Salisbury was wrong to wave play on by the letter of the law — but correct by the spirit of the game. More

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      Tottenham want Man Utd to fork out staggering club-record transfer fee for Harry Kane this summer

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      MANCHESTER UNITED will have to table a club-record transfer bid if they want to sign Harry Kane from Tottenham this summer, according to reports.Earlier this month, SunSport exclusively revealed that United chiefs had made contact with Kane’s camp through a third party and were encouraged by the response.
      Kane is worth £100m, according to TottenhamCredit: Getty
      The striker will enter the final year of his contract with Tottenham at the end of the season, so the Red Devils had hoped that a cut-price offer would be enough to persuade Daniel Levy and Antonio Conte to part with their star man.
      However, according to The Times, Tottenham are demanding £100million for Kane.
      The Lilywhites want the record fee in a single up-front payment.
      So if Kane were to join Man Utd, he would become a club-record signing.
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      He would also become the joint most expensive English player of all-time with Jack Grealish, who joined Manchester City in a £100m transfer from Aston Villa in 2021.
      Kane is expected to discuss his future at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium at the end of the season.
      He is claimed to be open to negotiating a new contract and Spurs chiefs are confident that he will remain at the club next season despite interest from Real Madrid and Bayern Munich as well as Man Utd.
      United boss Erik ten Hag is understood to be eager to sign a striker when the summer transfer window opens.
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      Napoli striker Victor Osimhen is also on the Dutchman’s transfer wishlist, but he is expected to cost around £100m.
      RB Leipzig wonderkid Benjamin Sesko is another name on the list of potential signings. More

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      Tottenham players are stunned at Antonio Conte’s blazing rant towards them with ‘several’ wanting him sacked NOW

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      ANTONIO CONTE has left Tottenham’s stars stunned and some of the squad want him axed now.The angry Spurs manager returned to Italy for a short break yesterday with the club still reeling after his astonishing rant following Saturday’s 3-3 draw with Southampton.
      Tottenham collapsed in the second half of their clash with Southampton on SaturdayCredit: GETTY
      Spurs boss Antonio Conte launched a scathing attack on his troops following their latest collapseCredit: REUTERS
      But it’s come at a cost as some of the squad want Daniel Levy to axe the ItalianCredit: PA
      The first-team squad know it is impossible that £15million-a-year Conte — out of contract this summer — will be in charge next season.
      There is a feeling among the players that Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy could even sack the Italian before the next Premier League game against Everton on April 3.
      Equally, there are a few players who would be happy for Conte to get the chop during the international break.
      Conte had slammed the players — and also attacked Tottenham owners — in an extraordinary outburst on Saturday, calling the situation “unacceptable”.
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      A furious Conte 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?
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      “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 un- acceptable for the fans.”
      It is widely accepted in football circles that Conte was accurate when he slammed the situation at Tottenham.
      But many also questioned his decision to make his feelings known publicly, which means his departure is now certain.
      The North Londoners have won one trophy since the current owners took over the club in 2001 and that was the EFL Cup in 2008.
      And SunSport revealed that club chiefs were furious when Tottenham tumbled out of the FA Cup to Sheffield United on March 1 after starting Harry Kane on the bench.
      Spurs have had 11 different managers in that time, including three since the 2019 departure of Mauricio Pochettino.
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      The Argentine coach took them to the Champions League final against Liverpool in Madrid in 2019 but was sacked six months later.
      Some fans would love to see Pochettino return and he left the club on good terms with Levy.
      Antonio Conte’s future at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is up in the airCredit: Rex More

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      Moment yobs hurl chairs in brutal street battle after Southampton v Spurs as police arrest 10

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      THIS is the shocking moments yobs hurled chairs during a brutal street battle after a football match between Southampton and Spurs.Cops arrested 10 people last night after violence broke out following the game.
      Yobs hurled chairs at each other in the scuffleCredit: CrimeLdn
      Officers were told tables, chairs and glasses were thrown during the scuffle which happened at the end of the match in Southampton.
      Video footage shows the moment yobs hurled chairs during the brutal street battle after the match.
      A 61-year-old man was badly injured after being assaulted and required hospital treatment.
      Police were called to the disorderly fracas soon after 6pm on Saturday evening.
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      A spokesman for Hampshire Constabulary said that 10 men had been arrested on suspicion of violent disorder.
      They added: “Officers are appealing after disorder broke out between football fans in Southampton.”
      “At around 6.05pm officers were called to reports of violent disorder between Southampton and Tottenham supporters on Terminus Terrace, at the junction with Oxford Street.
      “It was reported that a number of people were involved in the disorder, with tables, chairs and glasses being thrown, as well as a man being assaulted.
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      “The man, a 61-year-old from Bursledon, suffered facial injuries and attended hospital for treatment.”
      Detective Inspector Tim Judd, said: “This would have been a frightening experience for those who witnessed this incident. There would have been a lot of people out and about in the area enjoying their Saturday evening who suddenly found themselves at the centre of this disorder.
      “We believe those involved had been the Southampton FC vs Tottenham Hotspur game at St Mary’s Stadium and were making their way out of the city when the incident occurred.”
      Police are asking for witnesses or anyone with dashcam or phone footage to come forward.
      Police said: “If you do have any information that could help, please contact us on 101.”
      They added: “Ten people were arrested on suspicion of violent disorder and other associated offences.
      “Four men from Waltham Cross. Herts., aged 22, 23, 25 and 27 years; a 19-year-old man from Haringey, London; a 33-year-old man from London; a 24-year-old man from Hoddesdon, Herts.,; a 24-year-old man from Kings Lynn; a 19-year-old from Southampton; and a 31-year-old man from Bournemouth.
      “They are all in police custody and will be questioned later.”
      Moment yobs hurl chairs in brutal street battle after Southampton v SpursCredit: CrimeLdn
      The battle took place after the match between Southampton FC and Tottenham HotspurCredit: Getty
      The game ended in a 3-3 resultCredit: Rex More