Tottenham manager update: Luis Enrique ‘strong candidate’ for job

Tottenham Hotspur sporting director Fabio Paratici views former Barcelona boss as a ‘strong candidate’ to succeed Antonio Conte.
The Lowdown: Conte succession plan…
The 53-year-old has been repeatedly linked with an exit from Spurs in the last few weeks with Paratici already drawing a list of candidates to replace him long term.
While some noises suggest Ryan Mason will take interim charge for the remainder of this Premier League season if Conte is sacked, there could be many names to watch out for afterwards.
Sky claim some Spurs players have contacted former boss Mauricio Pochettino to return and other candidates in the frame include Roberto De Zerbi, Thomas Tuchel, Marco Silva, Thomas Frank and Enrique.
Conte’s seemingly inevitable exit from the north London club was accelerated by an astonishing rant after Spurs’ 3-3 draw with Southampton last weekend.
The Italian launched a scathing attack on the squad, chairman Daniel Levy and the club’s very culture – stating:
“We are 11 players that go into the pitch. I see selfish players, I see players that don’t want to help each other and don’t put their heart (in).
“Why? Because they are used to it here, they are used to it. They don’t play for something important yeah. They don’t want to play under pressure, they don’t want to play under stress.
“It is easy in this way. Tottenham’s story is this. Twenty years there is the owner and they never won something but why?”
The Latest: Luis Enrique a ‘strong candidate’ for Spurs hot seat…
According to CBS reporter Ben Jacobs, speaking to CaughtOffside, ex-Spain boss Enrique is viewed as a strong candidate by Paratici.
The transfer chief will apparently lead Tottenham’s chase for a new manager, even if Levy’s opinion carries huge weight, with Jacobs adding Enrique could be a ‘popular’ choice for Spurs supporters.
The reporter said:
“Pochettino is extremely open to a Spurs return and retains a strong professional and personal relationship with Levy. But Levy isn’t the only decision maker, even though his opinion carries huge weight. Fabio Paratici will lead on any appointment and he views Enrique as a strong candidate. Both options would be popular choices amongst the fanbase.”
The Verdict: Big pedigree…
Enrique shares a lot of similarities with Pochettino in the sense they both encourage open, attacking football and currently stand out as attainable free agents.
The 52-year-old has also worked with some of football’s most mega superstars, like Lionel Messi, potentially meaning he could handle a few egos in the Spurs dressing room.
Enrique has even been called ‘underrated’ by members of the media with the European coach coming as a really good potential choice.
However, we believe Pochettino still stands out given his Premier League experience.
