Tottenham Hotspur have announced the departure of manager Antonio Conte by mutual consent.
The Italian leaves after spending just 16 months in the North London hotseat, having replaced Nuno Espirito Santo in November 2021.
Conte oversaw an immediate upturn in fortunes, guiding Tottenham back into the Champions League with a fourth-placed Premier League finish in the 2021-22 campaign.
However, the Premier League and Serie A title-winner has been unable to snap Tottenham's trophyless streak, which now stands at 15 years since winning the 2007-08 EFL Cup.
Prior to the international break, Tottenham let a two-goal lead slip in a 3-3 draw with basement side Southampton, leading Conte to ruthlessly attack his players in his post-game press conference.
© Reuters
The 53-year-old labelled his players "selfish" and also appeared to take aim at the club's owners, questioning Spurs' lack of success under Daniel Levy and Joe Lewis.
While he would have likely departed at the end of his contract in the summer anyway, Levy was forced to take action, and the Lilywhites will be led by acting head coach Cristian Stellini and assistant head coach Ryan Mason until the end of the season.
A short, sharp statement from Tottenham read: "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. Cristian Stellini will take the team as Acting Head Coach for the remainder of the season, along with Ryan Mason as Assistant Head Coach."
Chairman Levy also weighed in with a concise message, but there was no mention of Conte from the Tottenham chief, who said: "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."
© Reuters
Conte departs having won 41, drawn 12 and lost 23 of his 76 games as Tottenham manager, although he handed the reins over to interim head coach Stellini at various points during a disrupted 2022-23 season.
The former Chelsea and Serie A boss lost coaching partner Gian Piero Ventrone to leukaemia last October, while good friend Gianluca Vialli also died from cancer aged 58 in January.
Following his two bereavements, Conte experienced his own health troubles, undergoing surgery to remove his gallbladder at the end of January after experiencing severe abdominal pain.
While alternating between Stellini and Conte, Spurs suffered FA Cup and Champions League eliminations earlier in March, and a host of candidates are said to be on Levy's shortlist for the summer.
Julian Nagelsmann, who was recently axed by Bayern Munich, is said to be a leading contender for the job, along with Luis Enrique and former Spurs head coach Mauricio Pochettino.
Conte leaves Tottenham with the Lilywhites fourth in the Premier League table, two points above Newcastle United having played two games more, and Stellini's first game as acting head coach comes away to Everton on April 3.
