Antonio Conte: Tottenham assistant provides surprising update on future

Tottenham assistant coach Cristian Stellini has admitted that he and Antonio Conte are ‘confident’ that they will stay at the club for ‘a long time’.

Conte’s contract expires at the end of the 2022/23 season, and while the club retain an option to extend it by a further 12 months, they would prefer to secure his future for the long-term.

The Italian has repeatedly insisted in recent weeks that he could walk away from the job if he does not feel his ambitions are aligned with those of the board.

But speaking to the media ahead of Tottenham’s FA Cup tie with Portsmouth, Stellini dropped a huge hint that they will be staying in north London.

“Every time we have confidence on this. It’s not about the contract. It’s about the project, it’s about the future, and we are confident every time,” he said.

“15 months is not a big period. We are in the way we expect after 15 months. For that reason we are in confidence.

“We are in the right moment after 15 months, if we compare our period to other periods in the past. We are in a good moment. We have to work. Like Antonio has said many times, we need passion and heart in the work. It’s not the time of the contract that decides. Your behaviour is the work you do to decide the result.

“We are confident to stay here a long time because we are working hard and the players follow us.”