By Martyn Herman
LONDON - Tottenham Hotspur have parted ways with manager Antonio Conte, the Premier League club said on Sunday, eight days after the Italian's furious outburst following a draw at Southampton in the Premier League when his side threw away a two-goal lead.
The result meant Spurs stayed fourth in the table but they are only two points above Newcastle United who have two games in hand of the London club.
After the 3-3 draw Conte, whose contract was due to expire in June, delivered a scathing verbal attack on his players, accusing them of being selfish.
While still in contention for a top-four finish, Tottenham bowed out of the Champions League last 16 to AC Milan this month and went out of the FA Cup to second-tier Sheffield United.
Conte was appointed in November 2021 following the sacking of Nuno Espirito-Santo.
"We can announce that head coach Antonio Conte has left the club by mutual agreement. We achieved Champions League qualification in Antonio’s first season at the Club. We thank Antonio for his contribution and wish him well for the future," Chairman Daniel Levy said in a statement.
"Cristian Stellini will take the team as acting head coach for the remainder of the season, along with Ryan Mason as assistant head coach.
"We have 10 Premier League games remaining and we have a fight on our hands for a Champions League place. We all need to pull together. Everyone has to step up to ensure the highest possible finish for our Club and amazing, loyal supporters."
(Reporting by Martyn Herman in London and Manasi Pathak in Bengaluru, additional reporting by Tommy Lund in Gdansk; Editing by Ken Ferris and Pritha Sarkar)