Head coach’s team talk will take place on the bus following his red card but players say they know what he expects of them against Marseille
Banned from the touchline and barred from the changing rooms, Antonio Conte will instead deliver his final message to his players on the team bus ahead of Tottenham Hotspur’s crucial Champions League showdown with Marseille.
Conte usually travels to matches on a bus with his coaching staff, separate from his players, but as Spurs pull into the magnificent Stade Velodrome on Tuesday evening he will be in the faces of his squad, passing on his instructions for the last time before he is forced into the stands for the remainder of the night.
The Spurs head coach is banned as a result of his red card in last week’s controversial draw with Sporting, and it is clear that his absence will lead to a strange and uncomfortable occasion for his players and staff.
“It is a totally different world,” said Cristian Stellini, Conte’s assistant. “Normally in the days before the game, Antonio will do all his preparation himself, alone. But now we have to do this all together, so it changes everything.”