Tottenham vs AC Milan is ‘job audition’ for Antonio Conte with Italian ‘going at the end of the season’ claims expert
TOTTENHAM'S trip to AC Milan this evening could serve as a "job audition" for boss Antonio Conte.
That's according to European football expert Andy Brassell.
Spurs travel to Italy for what, on paper, remains a glamorous Champions League tie - despite both sides being in wretched form.
With Conte's contract set to expire this summer, there has been plenty of speculation surrounding his future.
And Brassell reckons he could have an eye on impressing those in Italy, ahead of a possible return to his home country.
Setting the scene ahead of tonight's big match while chatting to , he said: "I think you could argue that AC Milan and Tottenham are two bald men fighting over a comb coming into this fixture.
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“With everything that has happened to these teams recently… we know about Tottenham, and Milan put an end to five games without a win by beating Torino 1-0.
"But it’s not just their bad results, Milan have been awful, absolutely awful on the pitch. They were dreadful in the Milan derby last week.
"Beating Torino puts them back in touch with the top-four – they’re fifth at the moment, on equal points with Atalanta and Roma who are third and fourth respectively – but they’ve got no chance of defending their title, with where Napoli are at the moment.
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"More was expected from Milan in the Champions League this season after what they did last campaign, where they had some good moments, but in their two games against Chelsea they weren’t good, and they were in better domestic form then than they are now – which bodes well for Spurs.
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"I’ve always thought since the draw was made that Spurs would get through this narrowly – we know Conte’s sides aren’t particularly expressive."
On the Italian's future in particular, Brassell added: "There are so many subtexts to this game and I think one of them is the fact Conte is going at the end of the season, we know that, he’ll probably go back to Italy and he would like to go back to Italy, we know that…
"Stefano Pioli, the AC Milan coach, has got an enormous amount of respect and has done a great job there. He’s won the title, but things have looked very, very sketchy over the last month or so.
"And I just wonder if that’s a job Conte might have his eye on going into next season.
"Pioli really has to prove that he can get his team doing something against decent opposition.
"And, for Conte, he never does it in the Champions League, does he? So this will be an opportunity for him to make some sort of rebuff to his critics in Italy."
Spurs head into the match depleted by a number of injuries.
Skipper Hugo Lloris and midfielder Yves Bissouma were both ruled out last week with knee and ankle injuries respectively.
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While Spurs yesterday confirmed the devastating news that Rodrigo Bentancur is set to be out for at least six to eight months with an ACL injury suffered during Saturday's dire 4-1 defeat at Leicester.
With Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg suspended for this evening's match, Spurs are set to field a youthful midfield duo of Oliver Skipp and Pape Matar Sarr at San Siro.
