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Conte taunts Tottenham: Nobody expects you to win things as you are no bigger than Gent

Antonio Conte has fired the first shots at Tottenham
Antonio Conte has fired the first shots at Tottenham

Chelsea manager Antonio Conte kicked off the Premier League mind games ahead of the new campaign by effectively writing off Tottenham’s chances, questioning if they are even a big club and rating them alongside Gent in terms of European status.

The Blues eventually shook off Spurs’ title challenge late last season but Conte cannot see Mauricio Pochettino’s side repeating this because they appear not to want to by failing to buy new players this summer.

Conte has spent around £130m on Alvaro Morata, Tiemoue Bakayoko and Antonio Rudiger and are still chasing other big names while more that £850m has changed hands as Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool, Arsenal and Everton have all invested heavily in fresh talent.

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But Spurs, who will play their home matches at Wembley this season while White Hart Lane is rebuilt, have not spent a penny, leaving their chairman Daniel Levy to question how clubs will eventually balance their books after all the huge spending.

Conte’s response has been to rule Tottenham out of the race before if starts, insisting they appear to lack ambition.

He also hinted that Spurs level in Europe is the likes of Gent, far below the Champions League expectations of the other Premier League big hitters.

Conte said: ‘if Spurs do not win the title it is not a tragedy.

‘If they don’t arrive in the Champions League, it’s not a tragedy. If they go out in the first round of the Champions League, it’s not a tragedy. If they go out after the first game that they play in the Europa League, it’s not a tragedy.

‘Maybe for Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United and – I don’t know – Liverpool, it is a tragedy. You must understand the status of the team.

‘Every team has to understand what their ambitions are. If their ambitions are to fight for the title or win the Champions League, you must buy expensive players. Otherwise you continue to stay in your level. It’s simple.

‘My question is this: What are Tottenham’s expectations?’

Levy this week defended a lack of signings and criticised ‘unsustainable spending’

Spurs were runners up last season in the Premier League but exited the Champions League at the group stage and lost in the last 32 in the Europa League – to Gent.