Former AS Roma sporting director Gianluca Petrachi has advised Tottenham to do what they can to accommodate good friend Antonio Conte.
Conte is now inside the final six months of his Spurs deal and while he has been open about wanting to stay on as manager, his current deal continues to run down.
Petrachi, who along with Roma, also enjoyed success as sporting director of Torino, is a good friend of Conte’s and says Spurs need to appreciate what they have.
He told Tribalfootball.com: “Despite the fact that I am his friend, I don’t know what he thinks or what he wants to do in the future.
“But it’s for certain that Tottenham has a great coach, and I am not saying this just because I am his friend but because we all know his qualities and what he brings to the team.”
For some in Italy, Conte’s decision to take the Spurs job came as a surprise. After leading Inter Milan to a first Scudetto in eleven years, the former Chelsea manager left the Nerazzurri over a disagreement regarding transfer policy.
But within months, he was back in London at Tottenham – a decision which Petrachi understands. He explained: “Conte is a very passionate person and he is committed to certain values.
“I think after he stayed out for some months, he wanted to get back in and test himself – especially in the Premier League which is the best league. And of course Tottenham, it’s a great club, with a fantastic stadium and a solid owner.”
Now with less than six months of his contract remaining, media sources in Italy are stating a return to Juventus could be on for Conte. But Petrachi insists the speculation is “premature”, particularly given the length of contract Max Allegri is currently on.
He added, “I don’t know if he can come back to Juventus, also I don’t have any idea what Juventus will do with their current coach Allegri, who still has three years of contract.
“First of all we need to know what will happen between Juventus and Allegri. I think at the moment, it is premature to speak about this possibility.”
