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Tottenham forward Richarlison has furiously declared he will demand answers from Antonio Conte after he received just 20 minutes of action from the bench against AC Milan – despite passing a late fitness test and his side’s desperate need for a goal – as Spurs crashed out of the Champions League with a whimper following a 0-0 draw with the Rossoneri on Tuesday night. The Brazilian has also taken issue with the way he has been abruptly dropped from the side without explanation despite starting recent wins over West Ham and Chelsea in the Premier League.
The stalemate with Milan means it’s now been 15 consecutive seasons without a trophy for Tottenham and with Conte seemingly heading for the exit door this summer, Richarlison is now prepared to risk damaging his relationship with the Italian in a bid to force his way back into his thinking.
When asked about being named on the bench, Richarlison, who replaced compatriot Emerson Royal for the final 20 minutes of the contest, told TNT Sports: “That’s what I didn’t understand. It was going well in a good sequence with two wins against West Ham and Chelsea.
“Suddenly, he put me on the bench against Wolverhampton and put me on for five minutes. I asked why? They didn’t tell me anything.
“They then asked me to take a test at the gym and that if I was good I would go to the game and they then left me on the bench. These are things that it is not possible to understand.
“Let’s see what he [Conte] will say, but there are no fools here either, I’m a professional, I work every day and I want to play. There are minutes left, time left.”
The extraordinary interview then took another twist when Richarlison labelled Tottenham’s season as “s***” in another savage swipe at head coach Conte.
He added: “This season, excuse the word, it’s been s***, because I don’t have minutes, I suffered a little with the injury. But, when I enter the field, I give my life. I came from two games well, I think that’s it, I think I should have played and I don’t have to cry about it.”
So far, Richarlison’s £60million transfer from Everton has not gone to plan with the Brazil international still yet to score in the Premier League for Spurs.
His only two goals in 25 appearances for the club in all competitions have come in the Champions League when he netted twice in the 2-0 triumph over Marseille back in September.
Richarlison was a major hit for Brazil at the World Cup – scoring three times in four matches – before a hamstring disrupted his momentum upon return to north London following the mid-season tournament in Qatar.
Meanwhile, Tottenham’s season now rests on finishing inside the top four and although they currently boast a three-point advantage over fifth-placed Liverpool, the Reds are full of confidence after their historic 7-0 demolition of Manchester United last Sunday.
Spurs still have to travel to Anfield in the Premier League in late April as they look to bounce back this weekend against Nottingham Forest, who will be no walk in the park.
Conte surprisingly talked up the proposition of being dismissed before the end of the season following the drab stalemate with AC Milan, claiming he will meet with Spurs to discuss his future at the end of the season when his contract comes to an end.
“I have a contract with Tottenham,” Conte said. “I respect the contract. At the end of the season, assessments will be made with the club in the most serene way.
“Let’s see how the season ends. Maybe they can send me away even earlier. Tottenham know very well what my thoughts are and at end of season we will meet and make a decision.
“I can’t say anything negative about the commitment of the players. They gave everything from the start to the end. If I have to see a positive situation, it is that we had a step forward – but it is not enough and if we want to be competitive, we have to fight.
“I don’t like to lose but it can happen, especially because last season don’t forget we played [Europa] Conference League and two years ago Europa League.
“I am really sorry for the fans, but we cannot hope for a miracle one day that a trophy goes into our training ground. We have to build and have patience.”
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