He’s even cutting down on fruit juice
When a football club hires a new manager with the intention of firing a rocket up the players’ expletives, the kitchen is often their first port of call.
Antonio Conte, it will not surprise you to hear, is no different. His first week at Tottenham has been one of intense training that left players feeling ‘dead’, meticulous tactical analysis and an overhaul to the menu at Hotspur Way.
As detailed in The Athletic‘s report on his first week in north London, the Italian coach has taken a no nonsense approach to nutrition, with a few players in the squad supposedly ‘overweight’.
He has cut out ‘heavy foods’, done away with the after-training sandwiches, while also implementing the oldest trick in the book for a new manager who wants to rule with an iron fist: banned ketchup and mayonnaise.
It doesn’t stop there though: cooking with oil and butter will be kept to a minimum, with fruit juice also being restricted.
This will inevitably frustrate some players, but with Conte’s track record of immediate success – or at least improvement -, they would be foolish to doubt his methods.
To supplement these changes, he has also reportedly insisted the whole squad eat lunch together. So at least they can consume their flavourless food in each other’s company.
Conte’s approach to pretty much every aspect of management comes in stark contrast to the relaxed approach Nuno Espirito Santo took to the job, with players reportedly enthused by Conte’s energy.
