Tottenham Hotspur manager Antonio Conte has declared he has recovered well after undergoing surgery to remove his gallbladder.
The Italian tactician went under the knife in early February and though he was back in the dugout after missing one match, he took extra time to recover with assistant manager Cristian Stellini taking his place.
Conte admits he underestimated his recovery then, thinking he would not be out for a prolonged period.
“For sure, I under-evaluated the recovery after surgery,” he said. “I think that for my sense of responsibility I wanted to come back early. Maybe I over-evaluated my body and myself.
“Now I’m well and I’ve recovered energy and I have to recover weight but for the rest my feeling is good. I will try to transfer my energy to my players. It’s important for me to work with my players and the staff and prepare for the games.”
Conte is now focused on leading his team from the dugout in the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 tie with AC Milan at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Wednesday night.
The Lilywhites lost the first leg 1-0 in Milan and Conte says his team is prepared to handle the pressure that comes with such a fixture on a big European night.
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— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) March 7, 2023
“We live for these moments [like playing Milan], because when the pressure is going up, it means your level is going up. Don’t forget, last season we played in the Europa Conference League and this year it’s the Champions League,” the former Juventus manager continued.
“The pressure is normal, we have to live with this type of pressure. Maybe if there is one thing we have to try to improve the environment here, it’s to live with the pressure. Sometimes that means to be a bit stressed, not always to be in peace, but to channel it in a positive way.”
Wednesday’s other Champions League match will see Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain go head to head at the Allianz Arena, with the Bavarian giants holding a 1-0 aggregate lead from the first-leg at the Parc des Princes three weeks ago.
