Cristian Stellini
Cristian Stellini has accused the media of trying to ‘punch’ Tottenham Hotspur but says their jabs will only make his team stronger. Spurs are currently without a permanent men’s or women’s first team head coach, their best player in Harry Kane is approaching the final 12 months of his contract and on Friday Fabio Paratici took a leave of absence from his role as managing director of football after his 30-month ban from the Italian football federation was extended globally by FIFA. Some have labelled the club as being in crisis following Antonio Conte’s exit and with their handling of the Paratici situation, but Stellini, who was named as acting head coach this week, hit back at the critics.
Cristian Stellini said: “Around us, there is a lot of speculation. The club is here, the fans are with us, the stadium is there, football, we will play football again. So all the speculation is only speculation. We have to be worried only about the game we have to play and the way we want to play the game. The more you try to punch us, the more we are tight, we stick together and more we react. This has to be clear for you guys and for all the people who try to punch us, because with the speculation, you create only energy on us. This has to be clear for everyone.”
It was pointed out to Stellini that the current vacancies at the club and Kane’s contract situation are more facts than speculation but he remained on the offensive.
Cristian Stellini said: “This is why I said you try to punch us and we react together and to be strong. This is what we do if you continue to speak about this. I said that Harry Kane is our top scorer and he wants to play the best matches in his life, because this is what I feel and if you try to speculate on this we want to play the next match at the best. This is my job. It’s not my job to speak about other things.”
Stellini takes the reins after his long-time collaborator Conte parted company with Spurs by mutual agreement after a tough season with problems on and off the pitch. With the death of three friends, including renowned Tottenham fitness coach Gian Piero Ventrone, as well Conte’s own health problems, Stellini was asked whether his compatriot was able to give his best during the campaign amid it all.
Cristian Stellini said: “With all the situation he had around him this was absolutely the best because I have never seen Antonio not work at his best,” he said. “Probably that was his best and he forced himself many times to get over the situations around him and that maybe created for him an effort that was too big. It could be a reason the decision was taken – although it is not up to me to say. All I can say is that Antonio pushed himself the best for everything at every moment. Also he forced himself to come back after the surgery and it was too early and that was a problem again. It was only because of his passion that he wanted to stay here.”
Tottenham fans are hoping for a change now to the style of play after the Conte era and more evidence of the club’s motto ‘To Dare is to Do’ on display in the performances.
Cristian Stellini said: “We have to follow the process we had because we are in fourth position at the moment. We know very well that the other teams have games in hand, but we are where it is important that we we are – we can challenge everyone and we know very well that with our team we can beat everyone. We just need to play like we did in the past against important teams, and also we know the difference between Tottenham when we win and Tottenham when we did not win. It is important to train with this style, be focused on the game and don’t lose the intensity through the whole game, because in the last game [against Southampton] we lost our intensity in the last 10 minutes and that changed the game. We know in the Premier League you can never do it. So that must never happen again. I prefer to not change the dynamic. The only change is that I take decisions now. I make decisions. I make the decision in the future and they have to respect my decision, all the decisions, and they have to respect all the staff, Ryan and everyone, like when Antonio was in. Nothing has to change in the respect because the players respect every time us in every situation. They have to continue and I have only to make decisions. This is the difference between the past and I want to do this for the best of Tottenham.”
Stellini believes that the key to Spurs improving in the final 10 matches of the Premier League season is if the players also take responsibility for their part in what happened before, both good and bad.
Cristian Stellini said: “I managed the team in the past but what can change in the mind of the players is not only the new manager coming in but also the old manager you lost. This is also important. It’s not only the new manager coming in, because you lost something and it’s the responsibility of everyone. It’s not normal that you change manager in the middle of the season. I appreciate a lot what Sonny said [on international duty about Conte]. He takes responsibility. This is the difference between thinking about the new manager and thinking about the manager you lost. It’s not only the new manager but also what happened in the past. If you take responsibility of that, it means you are lucid and you want to do your best. I appreciate that and every player has to do that.”
In charge while Conte was in Italy recovering from emergency surgery to remove his gall bladder, Stellini led Tottenham to victories against Manchester City, West Ham and Chelsea before defeat at Sheffield United in the FA Cup and Wolves. It was the dismal cup defeat at Bramall Lane in particular that taught him a lot as he struggled at first to comprehend it.
Cristian Stellini said: “It was a good learning [experience], this match. I struggled a lot after that match. I struggled a lot. I learned something but I want to keep this learning with me and not tell you because I don’t want to repeat that situation. “Me and the players, we know the difference between the game we played at home and the game we played in Sheffield. We have to take care that that never happens again.”
