Antonio Conte has thanked Tottenham and their supporters after he left the club by mutual consent on Sunday night.
The Italian broke his silence on his departure from the Premier League side in an Instagram post, alongside a picture of him clapping supporters during his time at the club. He said: "Football is passion. I would like to deeply thank everyone at SPURS who appreciated and shared my passion and my intense way of living football as a coach.
"A special thought to the Fans who always showed me support and appreciation, it’s been unforgettable to hear them singing my name. Our journey together has ended, I wish you all the best for the future."
Conte's long-awaited sacking came eight days after he delivered an explosive rant following Tottenham's draw with Southampton. The Italian took aim at his players and the club's hierarchy after being held to a point at the Premier League basement boys.
"We are 11 players that go into the pitch. I see selfish players, I see players that don't want to help each other and don't put their heart [in]. They are used to it here, they are used to it. They don't play for something important," he fumed.
"They don't want to play under pressure, they don't want to play under stress. It is easy in this way. Tottenham's story is this. Twenty years there is the owner and they never won something but why? The fault is only for the club, or for every manager that stay here.
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"You risk to disrupt the figure of the manager and to protect the other situation in every moment. Until now I try to hide the situation but now, no, because I repeat, I don't want to see what I have seen today because this is unacceptable and also unacceptable for the fans."
That rant spelled the end of his time as manager of Spurs, with many left feeling there was to be no way back for him. Those predictions proved correct, with Tottenham announcing his sacking late on Sunday night.
"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," a club statement read.
"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 Daniel Levy called on the club's fans and players to pull together under interim boss Stellini. They face a battle to finish in the top four, with Newcastle and Liverpool chasing them down.
He 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.”
