Tottenham’s Sergio Reguilon reveals conversation with PSG’s Achraf Hakimi about ‘special’ Antonio Conte

Dan Kilpatrick @Dan_KP8 November 2021

Tottenham’s Sergio Reguilon says he is already feeling the benefit of working with “special” Antonio Conte and revealed the head coach is using video footage of his Chelsea and Inter Milan sides to get the players up to speed.

Spurs went consecutive league games without registering a shot on target as Conte’s first Premier League match in charge ended in a goalless draw with Everton on Sunday.

The Italian has immediately switched Spurs to his preferred 3-4-3 system and there was evidence of tired legs and some tactical improvement at Goodison Park, suggesting his notoriously intense training sessions are already having an impact.

Conte, though, has been frustrated by the limited time available on the training pitch, after only receiving his work visa hours before Thursday’s chaotic Europa Conference League win over Vitesse Arnhem, and has instead turned to long video sessions.

He was an hour late for his first Premier League press conference on Friday because a video analysis session overran.

Reguilon, who is adapting to a new role as wing-back, revealed Conte has used footage of his title-winning Chelsea and Inter teams, while the Spaniard asked his former Real Madrid teammate Achraf Hakimi for advice on working under Conte.

“The gaffer is special,” Reguilon told Standard Sport. “He loves training hard but now we don’t have a lot of time to work on the things he wants on the pitch. So we did a lot of meetings with videos this week.

“I’ve never played five at the back before. I have to learn quickly. The gaffer has told me he wants me to be solid in defence but at the same moment I have to arrive in the box, help the strikers, score goals, give assists. Now I have more of a chance to score goals and give assists. So let’s work.

"I have to see many videos with the staff to do what they want on the pitch. I’m enjoying the position a lot because I can attack more but I have to run double!

“I’ve watched a lot of videos of Chelsea and Inter Milan, and I have a friend at Inter, Achraf Hakimi who I spoke to about the gaffer. He told me I will improve a lot under him and I want to do that as soon as possible. He said I will have to work really, really hard but I will improve a lot. In one week, I can already see that."

Conte was encouraged by his players’ “heart, passion and intensity” yesterday but was frustrated by their final ball, as they squandered a number of promising openings.

Getty Images

Reguilon believes the team would have lost the game under Nuno Espirito Santo and says there is already more intensity on the pitch and a belief in the manager.

“The team was really strong,” added Reguilon. “We’re going in a good way. This draw, I think in another moment of the season, was a game we would have lost. But the team was really good and competitive. This is the way forward. I think you can see on the pitch the team is more aggressive and more competitive [than before].

"We believe in the things we’re working on in training. That’s the way. We have to learn too much under him. For me, it’s unbelievable.”

Substitute Giovani Lo Celso came closest to a breakthrough, thumping the post in the final few minutes before Mason Holgate was sent off in stoppage-time for a rash lunge on Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg.

Everton were awarded a second-half penalty for a Hugo Lloris foul on Richarlison but the decision was overturned by referee Chris Kavanagh after consulting his pitch-side monitor on the advice of the VAR.

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