09 March 2023 , 06:38
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Tottenham forward Richarlison slammed manager Antonio Conte after the Premier League side were eliminated from the Champions League.
Spurs were drawn against AC Milan in the round of 16 after topping their group, and still had a chance of progressing after Brahim Diaz's first-leg winner left the tie delicately poised. They drew another blank in a frustrating evening in north London, though, with Cristian Romero sent off as they went out 1-0 on aggregate.
Richarlison, a summer signing from Everton, played just 20 minutes from the bench in each leg. The Brazil international has struggled for minutes and goals under Conte, and he made his feelings known after the elimination.
"This season, excuse the word, it's been s***, because I don't have minutes, I suffered a little with the injury." Richarlison told TNT Sports (via ESPN Brasil ). "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."
He said he didn't understand being dropped to the bench after starting in wins against West Ham and Chelsea. Son Heung-min returned to replace the Brazilian in Saturday's 1-0 loss at Wolves, and kept his place against Milan.
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"Yesterday [Tuesday], they asked me to take a test at the gym, that if I was good I would go to the game and, at the time of the game, they left me on the bench," he claimed on Wednesday after the match. "These are things that it is not possible to understand.
"Let's see what he will say tomorrow, 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."
Does Richarlison deserve more minutes at Tottenham? Have your say in the comments section
Richarlison and Spurs saw their European run end on Wednesday (AFP via Getty Images)Since moving to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Richarlison has made 25 appearances. Only 12 of those have been starts, however, with the most recent of those coming as Spurs lost to Sheffield United in the FA Cup.
The pressure continues to mount on manager Conte despite the London club remaining very much in the race for a top four finish. With the Champions League exit putting pressure on Spurs to hold off the challenge of Liverpool and Newcastle to qualify for next season's competition through their Premier League place.
“It was a tough night because we wanted to go to the next round," Conte told club media after the European exit. "About the commitment, my players gave everything from the start until the end, also when we had 10 players.
“It’s a pity. To go out in the Champions League against a team that last season won the league in Italy… we are talking about an important team with important players. The difference in these two games, two games in the balance, was that they created more danger offensively than us."