Tottenham Hotspur manager Antonio Conte has claimed that now is not the right time to discuss his future in the wake of Spurs' Champions League last-16 exit to AC Milan, but the club know "very well" how he feels about staying.
The Lilywhites welcomed the Italian champions to North London needing to overturn a 1-0 deficit from the first leg in Milan, where Brahim Diaz struck the only goal of the contest.
Despite enjoying more possession than the Rossoneri, 10-man Tottenham - who had Cristian Romero sent off - produced a toothless attacking performance in a goalless stalemate, which sent Milan through to the quarter-finals.
The best chance of the game for the hosts fell to Harry Kane in stoppage time, as the England captain's header was kept out by Mike Maignan before Divock Origi hit the post a few seconds later following a quick counter-attack.
With his contract due to expire at the end of the season, speculation over Conte's future is heating up in the wake of another failed pursuit of a trophy for Tottenham, but the 53-year-old was loath to discuss his personal situation.
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"This is not the right day to speak about future but my future, I have a contract with Tottenham and then Tottenham know very well which is my thoughts and at the end of season we will meet and then we'll make a decision," Conte said in his post-game press conference.
"I think the situation is really clear. It's one year and three months since I've been the coach of Tottenham. I always say the same things. We need time and patience because in this moment we don't have a solid foundation to be competitive to fight to win in my opinion.
"I have a contract until June. I am happy to work in Tottenham but at the end will make a decision okay, but the club knows very well which is my vision, which are my thoughts about the situation."
Having also been dumped out of the FA Cup by Sheffield United in the fifth round this month, Tottenham are seemingly destined to end another season without silverware for the 15th year running.
Not since the 2007-08 EFL Cup have the Lilywhites won a major trophy - a run which will continue barring a miraculous surge to the top of the Premier League table, but they find themselves 18 points behind leaders Arsenal with 12 games left to play.
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While acknowledging that fans' patience is wearing thin - claiming that he was "really sorry" for their European exit - Conte insisted that Spurs cannot make themselves contenders for silverware overnight.
"I am really sorry for the fans, I am really sorry for the fans but we cannot invent the win. This is important to know this. We cannot invent the win or hope for a miracle one day that a trophy go into our training ground or pitch," Conte added.
"I don't like to lose but it can happen during a path to have this type of situation, especially I repeat because last season don't forget we play Conference League and two years ago Europa League.
"We have to build and have patience. I understand for the fans, they don't have patience because for a long time Tottenham is not winning but what I can promise is that we continue to work really hard for this club to try to improve and then we see what happen."
Now only fighting for success in the Premier League for the remainder of the campaign, Spurs return to domestic action at home to Nottingham Forest on Saturday afternoon.
Ben Knapton
