Brutal year for Antonio Conte continues with surgery
2 min read
An absolutely brutal stretch for Tottenham Hotspur manager Antonio Conte became even more difficult on Wednesday.
« Antonio Conte recently became unwell with severe abdominal pain, » Tottenham explained in a brief statement. « Following a diagnosis of cholecystitis, he will be undergoing surgery to remove his gallbladder today (Wednesday) and will return following a period of recuperation. »
The club gave no timeline for Conte’s return, but ESPN noted he will miss at least Sunday’s home game against reigning Premier League champions Manchester City. Conte’s status for the match at Leicester City on Feb. 11 is unclear.
Tottenham face AC Milan in the first leg of their round-of-16 UEFA Champions League draw on Feb. 14.
For a piece published on Jan. 18, David Hytner of the Guardian mentioned that Conte has endured numerous personal and professional difficulties since the start of the 2022-23 season well before Wednesday’s development. Tottenham fell to fifth in the Premier League table and out of the Champions League places, and Conte lost three close friends.
Gian Piero Ventrone, a Tottenham fitness coach, died in October. Former player and coach Sinisa Mihajlovic passed away in December, and former player and manager Gianluca Vialli died in January following a bout with pancreatic cancer.
Additionally, Conte’s wife and their 15-year-old daughter continue to live in Italy while he runs the North London outfit. According to James Hunsley of Goal, Conte is set to be out of contract at the end of the season and has been linked with a potential return to the Italian Serie A.
« For sure, this season is a difficult season from a personal aspect, » Conte remarked in the middle of January. « To lose in such a short time three people that I knew very well was not simple. When this situation happens it brings you to have important reflections. Many times we think and we give a lot of importance to our work and we forget the family. We forget that we need to have more time for us. This season is making me to have an important reflection on my future. »
Tottenham haven’t confirmed who will take Conte’s place for the City game. While Tottenham trail fourth-place Manchester United by three points in the battle for a Champions League berth, second-place City are five points back of league-leaders Arsenal.
