Ex-Spurs Skipper Concerned By Length Of Conte’s Contract

Former Tottenham Hotspurs captain Gary Mabbutt has expressed concern about the length of contract handed out by the club to new manager Antonio Conte.

Ex-Spurs Skipper Concerned By Length Of Conte’s Contract

Conte penned an initial 18-month contract when he was brought in to replace Nuno Esperito Santo early last week.

Conte's appointment marks a return to England where he won the Premier League and FA Cup in a two-year stint at Chelsea.

He also has four Serie A titles to his name as a manager; three with Juventus and one with Inter Milan last season.

The 52-year-old Italian has not lasted more than two years in any of his previous two roles at Chelsea and Inter Milan.

Mabbutt is convinced Conte could be the man to end the club’s 13-year wait for a trophy and the former Italy manager should have been handed a longer deal.

He told Stats Perform: "Ideally, as a club, you want to get a manager in there who is going to have a long-term view because you want to build something.

"We have got a fantastic academy group of players coming through.

"But he said he's got an 18-month contract initially. So that is a short-term contract he is coming in with.

"In his first two years at Chelsea, he won the Premier League title and he won the FA Cup. In Milan [at Inter], it was the first time for 11 years they won the title.

"So, he's a manager that can come in and see where the problems are. He sees how those problems can be addressed and he gets in there, and he deals with it. That's what I like about him."

Conte will take charge of his first Premier League game for Spurs against Everton on Sunday.