Antonio Conte pays tribute to Gian Piero Ventrone after the Spurs fitness coach’s death
>
Antonio Conte pays tribute to Gian Piero Ventrone following the death of the Spurs fitness coach at age 61 from leukemia, claiming he is “devastated by the pain” but that his side must “keep on doing our job” for a show of respect during the Brighton match
- Antonio Conte paid tribute to Tottenham fitness coach Gian Piero Ventrone
- The Italian died in Naples on Thursday after a short battle with leukemia
- Conte said he is ‘devastated by the pain’ of the sudden loss of the 61-year-old
- Tottenham showed respect for Ventrone during their game against Brighton
- Harry Kane pointed to the sky after giving his side the lead in the first half
<!–
<!–
<!–
<!–
<!–
<!–
Antonio Conte has paid tribute to Tottenham fitness coach Gian Piero Ventrone after his death last week.
The 61-year-old died on Thursday in Naples after a short battle with leukemia.
Speaking to Sky Sports ahead of Brighton v Tottenham, Conte said he was ‘devastated’ by the pain’ of death just two days after the news broke.
Antonio Conte paid tribute to Tottenham fitness coach Gian Piero Ventrone after his death
The 61-year-old died on Thursday in Naples after a short battle with leukemia
Tributes were paid tonight for Tottenham’s Premier League game against Brighton
“Finding words for Gian Piero is very difficult at the moment,” Conte said.
“We are really devastated by the pain of what has happened. Also because no one expected this situation. But sometimes you know that life is not always positive situations.
“That’s why we have to deal with it as best we can, because I know Gian Piero wanted to stay strong and continue to do our job the way he taught us.”
Ventrone was nicknamed The Marine for his punitive drills during his elusive career
Ventrone joined Tottenham Hotspur in November as part of Conte’s coaching staff and became “a hugely popular figure with players and staff” via the club’s website.
Tottenham honored him before and during their game against Brighton tonight.
The players warmed up in t-shirts with the slogan ‘Always in our hearts – Gian Piero’ in both English and Italian.
Conte said ‘finding words for Gian Piero is very difficult at the moment’ ahead of Brighton match
Tottenham and Brighton players took part in a minute of applause before today’s game
In addition, both teams wore black armbands and there was a minute of applause before kick-off.
Harry Kane pointed to the sky after giving Tottenham the lead in the first half, seemingly a tribute to Ventrone.
Further tributes are planned ahead of Wednesday’s Champions League game at home to Eintracht Frankfurt.
Spurs players warmed up in shirts commissioned by the Vertrone before kick-off at Amex Stadium
The shirts shown read ‘Always in our hearts, Gian Piero’ in both English and Italian
Harry Kane paid tribute to the fitness coach when he gave Tottenham the lead early on
The Italian, nicknamed The Marine for his rigorous exercises, was part of the Italian coaching staff when they won the 2006 World Cup.
He has also held roles with Juventus, Catania, Jiangsu Suning, Guangzhou Evergrande and AC Ajaccio.
His methods came back into the limelight this summer when Ventrone’s signature preseason practice in Seoul sent Tottenham players to trembling physical wrecks.