LONDON: Tottenham have sacked Nuno Espirito Santo following the club’s poor start to the season, with former Chelsea boss Antonio Conte odds-on to replace him.

Coaching staff Ian Cathro, Rui Barbosa and Antonio Dias have also been relieved of their duties.

Spurs chairman Daniel Levy and managing director of football Fabio Paratici are understood to have met on Sunday to discuss Nuno’s fate after Saturday’s 3-0 home loss to Manchester United, the team’s fifth defeat in 10 Premier League games this season.

Managing director of football Fabio Paratici told the club’s website: “I know how much Nuno and his coaching staff wanted to succeed and I regret that we have had to take this decision.

“Nuno is a true gentleman and will always be welcome here. We should like to thank him and his coaching staff and wish them well for the future.”

Nuno became vulnerable not so much by the fact of Spurs’ 3-0 home defeat by Manchester United on Saturday but by the abject performance. His side scored just nine goals in his 10 league games in charge after winning the first three matches of the campaign and briefly going top of the table.

Former Chelsea boss Antonio Conte is already the heavy odds-on favourite for the job, only days after being the short-priced favourite to replace Ole Gunnar Solskjaer at Manchester United.

The 52-year-old Italian left Inter Milan in the summer despite delivering the Serie A title and a Europa League final during a two-year stint at the club.

Prior to that, Conte won the Premier League and FA Cup at Chelsea between 2016 and 2018, and three Serie A titles as Juventus head coach.

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