After receiving just 20 minutes of action from the bench against AC Milan despite passing a late fitness test and his team’s dire need for a goal, Tottenham forward Richarlison has furiously declared he will demand answers from Antonio Conte.
Spurs crashed out of the Champions League with a whimper after a 0-0 draw with the Rossoneri on Wednesday night. The Brazilian has also expressed dissatisfaction with the manner in which he was unceremoniously removed from the team, despite having started recent Premier League victories over West Ham and Chelsea.
Because of the impasse with Milan, Tottenham has gone 15 seasons without winning a championship. With Conte seeming like he’ll be leaving this summer, Richarlison is now willing to risk hurting his connection with the Italian in an effort to re-enter his head.
Richarlison, who replaced fellow countryman Emerson Royal for the game’s final 20 minutes, responded to a question about being named to the bench by telling 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.”
As Richarlison used another scathing insult towards head coach Conte to refer to Tottenham’s season as “s***,” the extraordinary interview took an additional turn.
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.”
Richarlison’s £60 million signing from Everton has not yet been successful due to the Brazilian international’s lack of a Premier League goal for Spurs.
His only two goals in 25 appearances for the club across all leagues came in the Champions League in September when he scored twice in the 2-0 victory over Marseille.
Richarlison scored three goals in four World Cup games for Brazil before suffering a hamstring injury upon returning to north London after the mid-season tournament in Qatar.
Tottenham’s season now depends on finishing in the top four, and despite having a three-point lead over Liverpool in fifth place following their historic 7-0 thrashing of Manchester United last Sunday, the Reds are fired up.
Tottenham still have a Premier League trip to Anfield in late April as they try to rebound this weekend against Nottingham Forest, who won’t be an easy opponent.
After the dull draw with AC Milan, Conte unexpectedly discussed the possibility of being fired before the season is through, saying he will meet with Spurs to discuss his future when his contract expires at the end of the year.
“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 knows very well what my thoughts are and at the 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.”
