Antonio on Gian Piero: “We will never forget him, he will live in my heart”

Antonio Conte paid a heartfelt tribute to his colleague and friend Gian Piero Ventrone after our 1-0 win at Brighton on Saturday evening.

So well-loved at the Club, Gian Piero, our fitness coach, sadly passed away on Thursday.

He was a key member of Antonio’s backroom team, and someone Antonio had known for almost 30 years, having first worked together when Antonio was a player at Juventus and Gian Piero joined as a trainer in 1994.

Speaking to SPURSPLAY after Harry Kane’s first half goal secured maximum points at the Amex, Antonio told us: “Honestly, it’s a tough period because what happened, it’s difficult to explain. No-one could expect this kind of situation with Gian Piero. The last time I spoke with him was on Thursday (last week). He had a bit of fever, and he asked me to stay at home.

“For Gian Piero, the work was the most important thing in his life. I think that in only 10 months here, he left a lot of positive situations. I felt the feeling of the players in these last three days and in the Tottenham environment, the situation hit everybody.

“It means that Gian Piero left something in our hearts. I know him from 30 years, I was before his player, then we worked together, and, in my experience with Tottenham, I wanted him again to stay with me. For sure, it was an important choice for me because I have seen the relationship that he created with the players, and with every single person in Tottenham.

“Sometimes life puts you in a difficult situation but, at the same time, I think we have to try to cope in the best possible way to overcome this situation, but don’t forget Gian Piero. We will never forget Gian Piero, he will live in my heart, in my head."