Things weren't going well for Tottenham on the pitch during Antonio Conte's final few months in charge, and behind the curtains, things were even worse.
Following his expected departure from North London, Gaston Edul of TyC Sports dropped a bombshell claim, stating that two well-known players at Tottenham threatened to quit if the Italian tactician remained on board.
Those players are Cristian Romero and Richarlison. According to the aforementioned Argentine journalist, the South American duo's relationship with Conte deteriorated drastically and it reached its final straw following Antonio's outstanding rant after the 3-3 draw with Southampton.
The defender and attacker were reportedly treated poorly by the gaffer, both publicly and in private, and were contemplating leaving the club in the wake of Conte's infamous outburst. However, now that he has departed Tottenham, things have cooled down.
"Conte's relationship with the squad was very bad, it's needless to say, it's something that we could see in his words," Edul, who is well connected with everything South American-related, told TyC Sports (as per the Daily Mail).
"Some players had given an ultimatum in case he continued. Now the outlook of Tottenham changed."
When pressed on this issue, the journalist eventually revealed the identity of those that gave an ultimatum, stating that it was Romero and Ricarlison, both of whom are undisputed starters for the Argentine and Brazilian national teams.
"Yes, I say that because we can say it, in fact, we waited to say it. Cristian Romero was rethinking about his stay at the club if Conte remained. As I understand it, the same thing happened with Richarlison.
"Because he treated them very badly, not only face to face or in a private environment but also publicly. Conte publicly criticized the players and that caused friction. But now Romero is going to stay at Tottenham, that's the plan."
It should be noted that Richarlison has publicly revealed his frustration at the club and with Conte. This came immediately after their UEFA Champions League exit at the hands of AC Milan, with the former Everton ace openly questioning the Italian's decision-making.
The search for Antonio's permanent success rages on, with Cristian Stellini taking over in an interim role until the end of the campaign. However, FIFA recently decided to extend Tottenham managing director Fabio Paratici's ban from football worldwide due to his involvement in Juventus' Prisma controversy. This means Daniel Levy and Co. have another headache to deal with before a manager can be appointed.
Harry Kane and Co. return to action on Monday for the first time since the 3-3 draw at Southampton. The North London heavyweights take on Everton and must beat the relegation-battling side if they are to maintain their dwindling top-four hopes.
