Richarlison & Cristian Romero threatened to LEAVE Tottenham if Antonio Conte remained in charge

• Conte left Tottenham by mutual consent
• Criticised his players after Southampton draw
• Romero and Richarlison threatened to leave club

WHAT HAPPENED? Conte was dismissed by Spurs following a wild rant at owner Daniel Levy, the players and the club's trophy haul after the team blew a two-goal lead to draw 3-3 at Southampton on March 18. The Italian manager called the players "selfish" and said they didn't want to play "under pressure", with Spurs subsequently deciding to make a change in the dugout to try and salvage a top-four Premier League finish. Argentine journalist Gaston Edul has now claimed on TyC Sports that Romero and Richarlison both gave Spurs officials an ultimatum before Conte's exit. The duo said they would consider leaving the club if Conte's services were retained, but the outlook has now changed with Cristian Stellini stepping into the dugout until the end of the season.

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THE BIGGER PICTURE: Richarlison had earlier blasted Conte after he was benched for the second leg of Spurs' round of 16 Champions League clash with AC Milan while reflecting on his "sh*t" first season in north London. He and Romero were reportedly among a number of players in the dressing room to question Conte's methods as the 53-year-old lost control of the dressing room.

AND WHAT'S MORE: Conte's post-Southampton comments only alienated his players further, with Emile Hojbjerg publicly calling on the manager to "elaborate" on his criticism. After Conte's sacking, Dejan Kulusevski insisted that the squad was fully behind the club's decision.

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WHAT NEXT FOR TOTTENHAM? Stellini will be in the dugout when Spurs get back to action after the international break, with a crucial clash against Everton up next on Monday.