sport news Who is Cristian Stellini? Tottenham coach has controversial past but takes over ... trends now
Cristian Stellini and Antonio Conte have been together through the good times and bad. A promotion, a Serie A title win, but also allegations of match-fixing, suspensions and the loss of loved ones.
The last six months has been one of the toughest periods for the pair. Poor form for Tottenham, but more importantly, in what puts the game into perspective, the deaths of Spurs fitness coach Gian Piero Ventrone, Conte's friend Sinisa Mihajlovic and his former team-mate Gianluca Vialli.
For workaholic Conte, he must now endure what in many ways will be a painful spell on the sidlines, as he hands over responsibility to his long-term right-hand man Stellini while he recovers from surgery.
You can guarantee Conte, even after undergoing gallbladder surgery following severe abdominal pain, will be as involved as his body will physically allow - though currently it remains uncertain as to he how long he will be out for.
But in Conte's absence, for however long that may be, the action doesn't stop for Tottenham, who this month have league games against Manchester City, West Ham and Chelsea, alongside AC Milan in the Champions League and either Wrexham or Sheffield United in the FA Cup.
Cristian Stellini (L) is set to take the reins at Tottenham in the absence of Antonio Conte (R)
The Tottenham head coach is recovering after undergoing surgery to remove his gallbladder
For whatever period he's needed, Stellini - the long-serving No 2 - will now find himself as No 1. As the man in charge of galvanising Tottenham after their seemingly inevitable first-half shocker. As the man in charge of bringing new signing Pedro Porro - expected to finally replace Kyle Walker - into the side.
In 48-year-old Stellini, Conte trusts. Their working relationship dates all the way back to 2007, when Conte managed Stellini at Italian outfit Bari, in what were his final years as a player.
Stellini also played for the likes of Novara, Spal, Como and Genoa. He even signed for Juventus in 2003, but a serious leg injury saw him feature only twice.
Conte would in 2010 take over as the manager of Siena, where he first started his coaching career as the assistant. And upon Stellini's retirement from professional football, Conte brought him on board as his assistant. Together, they led Siena to promotion to Serie A.
Conte wouldn't stay long at Siena, though, and neither would Stellini. By 2011, the pair were in charge of Juventus - Conte the manager and Stellini the assistant. Clearly, Stellini was the man Conte wanted by his side.
But things went sour - and fast. Just 13 months after his arrival, Stellini quit the club, where he was working as the technical assistant, for alleged match-fixing. The probe centred around Stellini's time at Bari.
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