Whether this week, next week, or at the end of the season, Antonio Conte's exit from Tottenham appears increasingly inevitable.
Reports this week claim the Italian manager could be sacked during the international break following a remarkable outburst last Saturday in which he hammered his "selfish" players after a 3-3 draw at Southampton, whom Spurs led 3-1 with 13 minutes remaining.
Conte has for months been expected to leave Spurs when his contract expires at the end of the season, but recent events could hasten his departure.
It wasn't meant to be like this. While Conte is known to be a combustible character not afraid to criticise his own club and board - after all, similar patterns contributed to his exits from Juventus, Chelsea, and Inter Milan - his arrival in North London brought hope that the club could form solid foundations upon which they could start challenging for trophies.
Taking over in November 2021 with Spurs in eighth place, Conte led the club to a top-four finish and into the Champions League. Since then, though, the cracks started to appear, with the Italian rounding on the club over their transfer policy and inconsistent results marring progress on the pitch. Then came the astonishing tirade at St Mary's Stadium.
Speculation has now begun over who will replace Conte at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Here are five managers who could be in the running to step into the Spurs dugout.
Mauricio Pochettino
The romantic choice and the one that would have the backing of the majority of Tottenham fans. Pochettino's four and a half years as Spurs manager, between May 2014 and November 2019, was one of the more successful spells in the club's recent history, highlighted by reaching the Champions League final in 2019.
The club's failure to build on that European run - Tottenham didn't sign any players the following summer - saw results rapidly decline and Pochettino was sacked in the November with Spurs 14th in the Premier League table.
Since leaving Spurs, Pochettino spent 18 months at Paris Saint-Germain, leading the French giants to the Ligue 1 title - his first major trophy as a manager - but an inability to capture the Champions League title saw the Argentine leave last summer.
Pochettino's strong relationship with the players should be a big advantage in his favour, particularly in light of Conte's recent criticism of the squad, while the Argentine's style of play will be welcomed compared to the Italian's more rigid approach.
Oliver Glasner
Reports this week claimed Tottenham have already made contact with Glasner, and given the Austrian's managerial achievements so far, it should come as little surprise.
Everywhere Glasner has been has led to success, taking over Austrian side LASK in the second division in 2015 and leading them to promotion. LASK then finished fourth in the Austrian Bundesliga in their first season, and second the following year - their highest placing since 1962.
From there, Glasner joined Wolfsburg and led the club to seventh in the Bundesliga in his debut season and fourth in his second year to qualify for the Champions League.
Glasner, 48, has been in charge at Eintracht Frankfurt since the start of the 2021/22 season, and while they endured a difficult league campaign to finish 11th, he did guide the club to the Europa League title - their first European trophy since 1980. Eintracht then advanced from their Champions League group this season but were eliminated in the Round of 16 by Napoli.
Considering all of Glasner's managerial experience has come in Austria and Germany, there would be an element of risk for Tottenham but his impressive CV makes him an obvious candidate.
Thomas Tuchel
Regarded as one of football's elite-level managers, Tuchel has been out of work since his shock sacking by Chelsea last September, 16 months after leading the club to the Champions League title.
Tuchel has achieved success throughout his managerial career, winning the German Cup with Borussia Dortmund, and claiming four trophies in two-and-a-half years at PSG. The German came closer than any coach to ending PSG's desperate attempts for European glory having guided the club to the Champions League final in 2020.
A master tactician who led Chelsea to successive FA Cup finals, Tuchel received a lot of credit for his leadership during a time of crisis when the Blues were placed under government sanctions due to former owner Roman Abramovich's alleged links to Russian president Vladimir Putin.
Results started to tail off during his final months at Stamford Bridge but much of that could be attributed to the unprecedented upheaval at the club.
Tuchel would be dream appointment for Tottenham but whether the 49-year-old would be interested in the position could be the main obstacle. Reports have suggested he could be in line for a return to PSG.
Luis Enrique
Unemployed since leaving the Spain national team following their last-16 exit to Morocco at the 2022 World Cup, Luis Enrique is expected to be one of the most sought-after managers in Europe come the end of the season.
Following short spells with Barcelona's B team and Roma in Italy, Luis Enrique returned to the Camp Nou in 2014 and presided over Barca's most recent era of dominance, winning seven major trophies in three seasons, including their last Champions League title in 2015.
Two consecutive spells as Spain manager have followed, with Enrique's best achievement leading the team to the Euros 2020 semi-finals.
Should Tottenham be interested in an approach for Enrique, the biggest challenge could competition for the Spaniard's signature. PSG, Chelsea, and Liverpool have all been linked with Enrique should those clubs decide to make a change.
Vincent Kompany
A riskier appointment but the former Manchester City captain is making an impressive start to life in management. Kompany got his break at boyhood club Anderlecht in Belgium and moved to Championship side Burnley last summer.
The Belgian has built one of the most dominant teams in Championship history as Burnley, 13 points clear at the time of writing, sprint towards promotion to the Premier League.
As a disciple of Pep Guardiola at City, Kompany has received one of the best educations a budding manager could get. Tottenham's fierce rivals Arsenal took a similar punt when they appointed Mikel Arteta. Perhaps Spurs could follow their lead.
Infiniti QX80 specs
Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000
Available: Now
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
It Was Just an Accident
Director: Jafar Panahi
Stars: Vahid Mobasseri, Mariam Afshari, Ebrahim Azizi, Hadis Pakbaten, Majid Panahi, Mohamad Ali Elyasmehr
Rating: 4/5
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
If you go
The flights
There are various ways of getting to the southern Serengeti in Tanzania from the UAE. The exact route and airstrip depends on your overall trip itinerary and which camp you’re staying at.
Flydubai flies direct from Dubai to Kilimanjaro International Airport from Dh1,350 return, including taxes; this can be followed by a short flight from Kilimanjaro to the Serengeti with Coastal Aviation from about US$700 (Dh2,500) return, including taxes. Kenya Airways, Emirates and Etihad offer flights via Nairobi or Dar es Salaam.
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
Like a Fading Shadow
Antonio Muñoz Molina
Translated from the Spanish by Camilo A. Ramirez
Tuskar Rock Press (pp. 310)
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
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Game Of Thrones Season Seven: A Bluffers Guide
Want to sound on message about the biggest show on television without actually watching it? Best not to get locked into the labyrinthine tales of revenge and royalty: as Isaac Hempstead Wright put it, all you really need to know from now on is that there’s going to be a huge fight between humans and the armies of undead White Walkers.
The season ended with a dragon captured by the Night King blowing apart the huge wall of ice that separates the human world from its less appealing counterpart. Not that some of the humans in Westeros have been particularly appealing, either.
Anyway, the White Walkers are now free to cause any kind of havoc they wish, and as Liam Cunningham told us: “Westeros may be zombie land after the Night King has finished.” If the various human factions don’t put aside their differences in season 8, we could be looking at The Walking Dead: The Medieval Years.
German intelligence warnings
- 2002: "Hezbollah supporters feared becoming a target of security services because of the effects of [9/11] ... discussions on Hezbollah policy moved from mosques into smaller circles in private homes." Supporters in Germany: 800
- 2013: "Financial and logistical support from Germany for Hezbollah in Lebanon supports the armed struggle against Israel ... Hezbollah supporters in Germany hold back from actions that would gain publicity." Supporters in Germany: 950
- 2023: "It must be reckoned with that Hezbollah will continue to plan terrorist actions outside the Middle East against Israel or Israeli interests." Supporters in Germany: 1,250
Source: Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
Sanju
Produced: Vidhu Vinod Chopra, Rajkumar Hirani
Director: Rajkumar Hirani
Cast: Ranbir Kapoor, Vicky Kaushal, Paresh Rawal, Anushka Sharma, Manish’s Koirala, Dia Mirza, Sonam Kapoor, Jim Sarbh, Boman Irani
Rating: 3.5 stars
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MATCH INFO
Austria 2
Hinteregger (53'), Schopf (69')
Germany 1
Ozil (11')
Where to buy
Limited-edition art prints of The Sofa Series: Sultani can be acquired from Reem El Mutwalli at www.reemelmutwalli.com
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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THE%20SWIMMERS
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Veere di Wedding
Dir: Shashanka Ghosh
Starring: Kareena Kapoo-Khan, Sonam Kapoor, Swara Bhaskar and Shikha Talsania
Verdict: 4 Stars
Mountain%20Boy
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Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
MO
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Match info:
Burnley 0
Manchester United 2
Lukaku (22', 44')
Red card: Marcus Rashford (Man United)
Man of the match: Romelu Lukaku (Manchester United)
What is the definition of an SME?
SMEs in the UAE are defined by the number of employees, annual turnover and sector. For example, a “small company” in the services industry has six to 50 employees with a turnover of more than Dh2 million up to Dh20m, while in the manufacturing industry the requirements are 10 to 100 employees with a turnover of more than Dh3m up to Dh50m, according to Dubai SME, an agency of the Department of Economic Development.
A “medium-sized company” can either have staff of 51 to 200 employees or 101 to 250 employees, and a turnover less than or equal to Dh200m or Dh250m, again depending on whether the business is in the trading, manufacturing or services sectors.
