Antonio Conte has reminded Jurgen Klopp it is best for a “top coach” to focus on his own team in clear-the-air comments after the recent draw between Tottenham and Liverpool.
Tottenham took a point back to north London with them after a 1-1 draw at Anfield on Saturday. Son Heung-min put Spurs ahead before their former target Luis Diaz equalised for Liverpool.
The result delivered a blow to Liverpool’s hopes of catching Manchester City in the Premier League title race. In turn, their manager Klopp was a frustrated figure. After all, it was a game in which his side had 14 more shots than their opponents.
After the game, Klopp appeared to aim a dig at Tottenham’s style of play under Conte. He has since clarified his comments and confirmed his respect for Conte.
Especially with a north London derby looming for Tottenham, it seems time to draw a line under the situation.
At his latest press conference, Conte has described Klopp as “intelligent”. In addition, he used the recent meeting as an example of how tough the Premier League is.
But he proposed that his own team looked likelier to win. What’s more, he warned against managers trying to “find an excuse” when it doesn’t go their way.
Conte said: “Anyone who knows me, knows very well I want to win every game. I try to transfer this thought to my players.
“For sure, when I stay in one team, in a club, my aspiration and desire is to fight to win the title.
“To win the league in England is not easy. [Pep] Guardiola said Liverpool won one league in 30 years, maybe. It shows it’s not simple.
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“Maybe sometimes it’s easier to win Champions League or Europa League than the league in England, where you have to face monsters.
“After the game against Liverpool, the good answer I had like my players was we were disappointed at the end because we had the possibility to win the game.
“We analysed the game the day after, and for sure if there was a team that deserved to win, it was Tottenham not Liverpool.
“In this game, I think Klopp understood he gained one point, not lost two points.
“Jurgen is intelligent, he was a bit frustrated after the game. At the same time, for us, for a top coach, it’s important to be focused on your team, not your opponents. To be focused on your opponents, means you want to find an excuse or alibi because it means something in your job was wrong.”
Conte understands post-match frustrations
Reiterating his respect for Klopp, Conte added that it can be tough for managers to speak clearly and fairly after difficult results.
That said, he maintains they should focus on themselves.
Conte continued: “Honestly, for the coach it’s not simple or easy after the game. You have to try to keep a cool head. It’s not easy or simple sometimes.
“If you remember this season it always happened to me, when I was disappointed after a bad result.
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“When we lost against Burnley, if you remember I gave to myself the fault about the defeat. Sometimes we’re a bit frustrated, especially when you arrive at the end of the season and you understand a bad game and result can change the target for you.
“I repeat, I have great respect for Jurgen and I know he respects me a lot.
“This is a good chance for me and all the coaches to learn that during the game you never speak about your opponents.
“It’s important to be focused on your team and the moments you can do better. And your own problems.”
The next thing Conte has to focus on is Tottenham’s clash with Arsenal on Thursday. It will be decisive for their hopes of breaking into the top four.
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