Antonio Conte sends warning to Tottenham as he worries about being sacked

Antonio Conte has warned Tottenham that clubs will regret letting him go.

With Spurs 14 points clear of leaders Arsenal, the manager is coming under increasing scrutiny and some are wondering if his heart remains in north London.

After a traumatic couple of months that saw the deaths of three of his close friends, the Italian admitted he was reflecting on his priorities and future as a coach.

Antonio Conte claimed on Wednesday that Tottenham would regret ditching him from the Spurs job

But before today’s trip to Manchester City, he dismissed any concerns about his involvement with Tottenham.

“I don’t read this and I don’t hear this, but people who know me wouldn’t tell you I’m a bad coach,” Conte said.

“None of the clubs I’ve worked at have been unhappy with my commitment and what I’ve given them.

“When I leave, the club usually have a lot of regrets because they saw how I worked and how hard I put in. In that respect, I’m really happy with who I am.”

Tottenham suffered a 2-0 defeat by Arsenal in the north London derby on Sunday night

Conte added: “I give everything for the club. Not just for Tottenham – for Inter, for Juventus, for every club I’ve coached. It’s normal that I’m tired at the end of the day because I work a lot for the club. And that’s why they want me to stay long.’

Conte’s contract runs until the end of the season, but Tottenham have the option to extend it for another year.

Conte insisted he wasn’t seen as a bad coach by “people who knew him” (see above with manager Fabio Paratici).

It’s been a difficult few months for the Italian, with the deaths of fitness coach Gian Piero Ventrone in October, Sinisa Mihajlovic in December and Gianluca Vialli this month. All three were dear friends, none was older than 61.

Conte, 53, opened up about how it affected him. “This is a difficult season from a personal point of view,” he said. “When this situation arises, you have important considerations to make.

“Often we attach great importance to our work and forget about family, we forget that we need more time for ourselves. Certainly this season makes me think about my future.

“When work is the priority, we may forget to stay with family and friends, we forget to spend time with friends. This is our passion and we lose a lot of things for it.

Spurs travel to the Etihad Stadium on Thursday to take on reigning champions Manchester City

“When that happens, you start to think maybe it’s good to devote more time to your family and friends, as well as yourself. Work is not everything in life.”

The fact that Conte’s family remains in Italy only makes life more difficult.

“I don’t want to interfere with my family’s life,” he said. “Sometimes it’s important to sacrifice choices and stay.

“But I have a family that tries to support me and come here as often as possible. But the situation gets more difficult when things happen, like with Gianluca, Gian Piero and Sinisa.