Every word Antonio Conte said on new transfers, Arsenal surprise, Ndombele and UEFA appeal

Any update on injuries?

No, we have the same situation as Arsenal. Before the game it was the same.

What is your reaction to Arsenal game being postponed?

I think the club made a statement and I think that the club expressed our disappointment about the decision. It was for sure a strange decision, but I think the club made an important statement to tell about our disappointment for the decision.

I think that if the Premier League decides to postpone games for injury it means that maybe they have to try to make a best schedule and to reduce many to play games, and if they don’t want injuries and if they don’t want the risk to postpone for injuries. But I repeat this is the first time in my life that there is a league that has postponed the game for injuries. It is very strange and surprising for this.

I think that we have to try and continue to have good results in the league. It’s very important. We know very well that only after the international break the injured players are ready to come back in our squad. And it will be very important to overcome this period because it’s not easy to play many games – especially if you have many injuries in your squad.

Then we’ll see what will happen during this period with the transfer market. In January it’s always an important period because if you can help the team, the squad then you have the opportunity in this month to try and take the best opportunity.

There are opportunities to come but is the priority this game against a good Leicester side?

Our priority is the Leicester game. We know that we have to play against a really good team that in the last years won a title, won an FA Cup, won a Community Shield. They’re showing that they’re doing important things in England. Leicester is a reality, they’re not a surprise.

The club made a statement and it was very clear to show our disappointment. It was disappointing because we prepared the game to play against Arsenal and the decision to postpone the game was very, very strange. The club made a statement to show our disappointment.

Are you surprised clubs are letting players leave and then calling off games?

My feeling is that when there is a situation to play we have to play. Not to postpone games for injuries, for international duty. I think we have a big problem to solve and it’s Covid, but only about this situation can you decide to postpone, not for other situations.

Honestly, it’s my first time in my life – and I’ve had a bit of experience in football – to see this type of decision. It was very strange because in this way anything can happen.

What are the reasons for Tanguy Ndombele’s individual training sessions?

But he has been having a training session, and video analysis and also training sessions to keep a good form and that is all.

I don’t know. I know that the transfer window in January is always very difficult and it is more simple when you start the season to buy important players. In January it is not easy, but at the same time we know very well that if there is the opportunity and also if it’s not the best opportunity, but we need to do something.

Also if I repeat that this could not be the best opportunity but I think that we are in a situation where we have to try to implement the squad because the squad is not so big.

Yeah, but this is a situation that you can see in every team, not in one, two or three teams, but it’s normal when you have to play this number of games with this intensity in England or you have a squad of 25, 26 or 27 players and you can make rotation.

Otherwise if you have to decide whether to play with the same players it’s normal to have injuries and I think that you have to be lucky to have small injuries and not lose players for one month, two months for example.

We lost Romero for two months and now Sonny for one month. Sometimes it’s very strange to listen about the welfare of the players, because then if you think that you have to… if you think that someone has to look to the welfare of the players, surely you have to play less games and especially not to play games within two days.

Otherwise why do you speak about the welfare of players? It’s only honest views, only to tell something that is stupid in my opinion because you protect the players to give them rest, to play and rest but if we want only to play and then sure you can speak about the welfare of the players. It’s very strange.

If the Premier League start handing out 3-0 defeats would there be less calls for postponements?

I honestly don’t know and it’s not my job, it’s not my task. I repeat, I am a coach and for sure it is not simple to prepare the game in every aspect and then you arrive to play the game and then the game is postponed for strange reasons. It is not simple. Tottenham was dropped off from the Conference League because the Premier League didn’t want to move the Leicester game. Then after a request of Leicester they postpone, but Tottenham was dropped from UEFA.

This is very strange and in this type of situation there is a big disappointment. We work and we love football, we work a lot to try and play this competition and then it is very difficult to accept this decision. In the past the decision penalised you. But we can talk and I understand the decision is this and I accept but there is a bigger disappointment for the decision they are taking.

Honestly, this is a topic that is right to talk in a private way and not in front of media. I want to be the first man to tell this and not the last man. About this topic, the right thing is to speak in a private way and find a solution.

Until now there is a decision that they dropped us. I repeat it was because the Premier League didn’t want to move the game against Leicester, this is the only reason. Leicester then asked to move the game and they did. I think it was a big damage to Tottenham from the Premier League.

You have to try to protect your team in Europe. Instead they penalised us in a bad way. We are working, we have passion for football and we like to do this but they need to show us respect for our job.

So is the appeal still happening ?

Now I don’t know, it’s a task for the club, not me. I know there is a decision now and I repeat, we were penalised and from the Premier League and not from UEFA.