Richarlison has shared insights into his relationship with Antonio Conte, revealing a confrontation with the former Tottenham Hotspur manager about his limited playing time in the previous season.
Despite joining Tottenham for an initial £50m fee, the Brazilian striker struggled to find the back of the net during his debut campaign at the club. Richarlison scored only one goal in 27 Premier League appearances in the 2022/23 season and faced challenges adapting to Conte’s tactical approach.
During an episode of Desimpedidos, Richarlison and teammate Emerson Royal disclosed an incident where the striker’s frustrations with Conte’s tactics reached a boiling point before a game last season.
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“[Richarlison] arrived late at the meeting on the day of the game, and the guy [Conte] said, ‘Do you have something to say to the team? Do you want to apologize to the team?'” Emerson explained. “He asked the other guys who had arrived late too, the guys said ‘no, just sorry,’ then I don’t know what got into [Richarlison].
“He was supposed to apologize to the group and to [Conte], right? Then he said, ‘Ah, I think I need more minutes [of gametime].’ I think he understood it that the guy asked if he had anything, something to talk about, then he started saying that the formation we played in was [swears]. He said a couple of things.”
Richarlison continued the narrative, stating, “I came out saying everything that came to mind. ‘I need more minutes,’ ‘this formation is no good,’ ‘I didn’t adapt,’ ‘this formation is [swears].’ I started talking, then the guys behind started laughing, and I said, ‘What am I doing here? I didn’t understand what he had asked; I started saying what I had already rehearsed.'”
Since Conte’s departure and Ange Postecoglou’s arrival at Spurs, Richarlison’s goal-scoring form has significantly improved. After scoring just one Premier League goal last season, the Brazilian has already netted ten in 22 appearances in the 2023/24 season.