Tottenham midfielder Heung-Min Son revealed he feels responsible for the sacking of Antonio Conte less than a week ago. The 30-year-old was the joint-top scorer in the Premier League last season, helping Spurs finish fourth under Conte, but the South Korean attacker has only scored six goals in the league this season. Spurs fired Conte on Sunday, only eight days after he labeled his players “selfish” after a 3-3 draw at Southampton.
“I apologize profusely as a player. He’s a fantastic coach, and we had a fantastic adventure together,” Heung-Min Son said about the sacking of Antonio Conte. “I could have done better. I feel responsible for his departure because I haven’t done much for the club. I appreciate everything he’s done. He’s a fantastic coach with plenty of experience. I’ll be cheering for him.”
Spurs have been knocked out of both domestic cup competitions and the Champions League. They are fourth in the Premier League with 49 points from 28 games and will be back in action on Monday against Everton. Tottenham’s managing director of football, Fabio Paratici, thinks Conte’s departure was “the right decision for everyone” and that now is not the time to focus on the manager’s potential successor. Cristian Stellini has been appointed as interim manager, with Ryan Mason as his deputy. Conte, who has undergone gallbladder surgery and lost a number of people close to him in recent months, has had a “tough” season, according to Paratici.
“The club was really supportive of him, and everyone was close, but then we came to this mutual agreement. I believe the decision we made was the best one for everyone,” Paratici said. “Everyone must concentrate on the last stretch of the season. We don’t want to discuss other coaches or speculate in the media. We are concentrating our efforts on assisting Cristian and Ryan.”
Tottenham’s upcoming fixtures
April 3: Everton (A) – Premier League, kick-off 8 pm
April 8: Brighton (H) – Premier League, kick-off at 3 pm
April 15: Bournemouth (H) – Premier League, kick-off at 3 pm
April 23: Newcastle (A) – Premier League, kick-off 2 pm
April 27: Man Utd (H) – Premier League, kick-off 8.15 pm
April 30: Liverpool (A) – Premier League, kick-off 4.30 pm
May 6: Crystal Palace (H) – Premier League, kick-off at 3 pm
May 13: Aston Villa (A) – Premier League, kick-off at 3 pm
May 20: Brentford (H) – Premier League, kick-off at 3 pm
May 28: Leeds (A) – Premier League, kick-off at 3 pm
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