‘He has to elaborate’ - Højbjerg seeks more clarity from Conte after outburst

Midfielder sympathetic to Conte but sought more openness

TELL ME MORE: Tottenham Hotspur manager Antonio Conte (right) celebrates with Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg. Pic: Adam Davy/PA Wire.

Pierre-Emile Højbjerg says he wishes Antonio Conte had been more open and “precise” in his communication with the Tottenham squad as he reflected on the manager’s outburst that appears to have made his position at the club untenable.

Conte laid into the players after Saturday’s 3-3 draw at Southampton, calling them “selfish” and questioning their mentality, the frustrations that have simmered during an erratic season boiling over in spectacular fashion. 

Spurs have started to check the market for the Italian’s successor, a sign that they are ready to accelerate his departure. Previously he had been expected to leave at the end of the season upon the expiry of his contract.

Rúben Amorim has his admirers on the Spurs board although the Sporting manager might be difficult to prise away at this stage of the season, particularly as he has a Europa League quarter-final against Juventus next month. Amorim would be interested in the role but would be expensive to recruit. His release clause is €20m. It will drop to €15m in the summer.

Vincent Kompany, who has Burnley on the brink of promotion back to the Premier League, is another name of interest. Ryan Mason, one of Conte’s assistants, could step up as a caretaker until the end of the season, as he did following José Mourinho’s dismissal in April 2021.

Højbjerg has become the first Spurs player to speak in public about the unfolding crisis. His tone was sympathetic towards Conte, a manager who has been good for him, but he did suggest that he ought to have explained himself more clearly to the players. It is understood that many of Højbjerg’s teammates would be happy if Conte was to leave.

“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,” Højbjerg said, as he prepared for Denmark’s Euro 2024 qualifiers against Finland and Kazakhstan. 

“But I think he has to elaborate on how he feels before you as a player can start measuring and weighing.” 

Asked if Conte was right to launch his tirade, Højbjerg 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. 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.” 

Spurs have endured a series of demoralising defeats since the restart after the World Cup, most recently the Champions League last-16 exit against Milan and the FA Cup loss at Sheffield United. The dropped points late on at Southampton – Spurs had been 3-1 up with 13 minutes to play – felt like the final straw for Conte.

“We’ve all seen it – it was a very honest and very open press conference he gave,” Højbjerg said. “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.

“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% of myself for the team.”

Guardian