Hurting Conte pays tribute to Ventrone as Spurs boss says fitness guru's death 'hit me a lot'

Antonio Conte will attend the funeral of Gian Piero Ventrone on Sunday after the Tottenham boss oversaw an emotional Premier League win at Brighton and Hove Albion.

Spurs fitness trainer Ventrone died on Thursday, apparently after being diagnosed with leukemia, and Conte said his fellow Italian asked a few days ago if he could be allowed to leave. absent from work due to illness.

After Harry Kane's goal earned Spurs a 1-0 win, who sit third in the table, Conte spoke of the trauma everyone at Tottenham felt at the loss of Ventrone.

It was the first time Conte had spoken in public about Ventrone, after he canceled his usual pre-match press conference on Thursday.

He said it had been "really, really hard for us to focus on the game", saying the experience over the past few days had been "incredible".

Conte did not expect Ventrone's death, and his impact on the former Juventus and Italy coach was profound.

He said he was aware that Ventrone's health was "really problematic" at the start of the week.

“But nobody could have expected this situation because nobody knew anything about this disease,” Conte said. "It was a disease but under control and then it's very difficult because the situation affected me a lot emotionally.

"When this happens it is very difficult to cover your feelings with the players and with the people who work at Tottenham.

"At the same time I saw a lot of solidarity. The players were really devastated by the pain and in the whole Tottenham environment the feeling was really bad because in just 10 months I think Gian Piero crossed everyone's heart."

Ventrone was a man Conte wanted in his Spurs squad, confident he would make his players stronger and fitter, with the pair having known each other for 30 years.

He described Ventrone as "a scientist". Conte spoke to Ventrone the Thursday before his death, as the disease took its toll. Ventrone said he had "a bit of a fever" and felt he couldn't attend practice, according to Conte, but at the same time he was reluctant to take time out.

Conte said Ventrone then told him about his condition and in turn was told not to worry about his duties at Tottenham but to take care of himself.

Manager Conte said the Spurs players were "really devastated" by the news that Ventrone had died aged 62. Many paid a warm tribute to the coach.

"Sometimes life puts you in difficult situations, but we have to cope in the best way possible to overcome this situation," Conte said in an interview published by Tottenham. "But we will never forget Gian Piero. Gian Piero will live on in my heart and in my head.”

Conte explained that a delegation from Tottenham, which he is expected to lead with chairman Daniel Levy, will travel to Naples for the funeral.

"I want to tell his son and his daughter that they have to be strong because Gian Piero was strong, a strong character," Conte said.

"He doesn't want to see us unhappy. It's hard to make him happy because we're so devastated by the pain."