Antonio Conte is preparing his Tottenham Hotspur side for a trip to Old Trafford on Saturday, facing Manchester United in what is being billed as a huge clash in the context of the Premier League top-four race.
Of course, the Italian coach was not always a certainty to be in charge of Spurs when you rewind back a few months, as he was instead heavily linked with the Red Devils job in the lead-up to the eventual sacking of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer last November.
Much speculation alluded to the possibility of Conte taking the reigns at Man United to succeed the Norwegian, however by the time the vacancy had opened up, he had already been appointed as the manager of Tottenham following the departure of manager Nuno Espirito Santo from the club earlier that month.
So just how close did Conte come to taking over in Manchester? Here's a look back at that curious timeline of events and a comparison between Conte's record at Spurs and the job done by eventual Reds appointment Ralf Rangnick.
MORE: Last time Spurs won a trophy
Tottenham beat Man United to Conte
- Sept. 2021: Conte to Manchester United rumors begin to emerge
Rumors of Man United making an approach for Conte emerged way back in September, as the 20-time league champions began to stumble in what has been a disappointing campaign so far.
Reports claimed that the ex-Italy boss was open to replacing Ole Gunnar Solskjaer were he to be dismissed by the Man United hierarchy. Conte was a free agent at the time, having surprisingly left Inter Milan at the end of their 2020-21 scudetto-winning campaign.
- Oct. 24, 2021: Manchester United lose 5-0 to Liverpool
Following an embarrassing 5-0 defeat at home to bitter rivals Liverpool, pressure on Solskjaer was reaching breaking point from fans and pundits alike. The Old Trafford club was said to be considering the future of the 49-year-old, despite giving him a new three-year contract in July. Conte was still reportedly keen to talk to the club.
- Nov. 1, 2021: Spurs fire Nuno Espirito Santo
A 3-0 home loss to Manchester United was the end of the road for manager Nuno Espirito Santo at Spurs. Strikes from Cristiano Ronaldo, Edinson Cavani, and Marcus Rashford sealed a comfortable win for United, alleviating the pressure somewhat on Solskjaer for the time being and keeping him in a job.
Espirito Santo would not have the same luck, however, as he was sacked a couple of days later as questions mounted over the Lilywhites' style of play and the poor form of star striker Harry Kane.
- Nov. 3, 2021: Tottenham hire Conte
Spurs moved swiftly to land Antonio Conte on an initial 18-month contract. Managing Director of Football Fabio Paratici had an important role in securing the move, having previously worked with the coach together at Juventus.
Antonio's message to the fans... pic.twitter.com/tX6FKwLk9J
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) November 2, 2021
- Nov. 22, 2021: Man United fire Solskjaer
Only 19 days later, Solskjaer was finally sacked by Man United after a 4-1 defeat away to Premier League strugglers Watford. Michael Carrick was initially put in temporary charge as the Red Devils looked to find an interim manager until the end of the campaign.
- Nov. 29, 2021: Man United hire Rangnick
That interim manager came a week later as Ralf Rangnick was appointed as interim manager for the rest of the season.
MORE: Leaks, factions and unrest at Manchester United
Conte vs. Rangnick: Who's done better?
It is hard to separate how both respective bosses have done since settling in at their new clubs as they prepare to face off.
| Competition | Conte | Rangnick |
| Premier League | 7th place 9W-4L-3D |
5th place 7W-2L-5D |
| FA Cup | 5th Rd. 2W-1L-0D |
4th Rd. 1W-0L-1D |
| League Cup | Semis 1W-2L-0D |
— |
| Europe | 1W-1L-0D Conf. Lg. |
0W-0L-2D Champ. Lg. |
Premier League: Man United have played 14 league matches under Rangnick, winning seven of them (21 goals scored vs. 14 conceded). They have averaged around 1.86 points per game as they look to secure UEFA Champions League qualification for next season. Most of these wins have come against bottom-half sides.
Conte has followed a largely similar trajectory in his time at Spurs, picking up nine wins from 16 Premier League fixtures (31 goals scored vs. 16 conceded). He has also only defeated one top-six side (Manchester City), with a slightly better 1.88 points per clash.
FA Cup: In the FA Cup, both sides were humiliatingly eliminated by Middlesbrough in the Fourth and Fifth Round, respectively.
Europe: Tottenham was knocked out of the UEFA Europa Conference League group phase after their final group-stage match wasn't played due to a COVID-19 outbreak. Man United is still in contention in the UEFA Champions League, tied at 1-1 with Atletico Madrid going into their Round of 16 second leg on March 15.
Carabao Cup: Conte led Spurs to the semis of the Carabao Cup where they lost to Chelsea in both legs. Man United were already eliminated from the competition by the time Rangnick took over.
MORE: Handicapping the race for Premier League top four
Antonio Conte teams managed
Conte has been at the forefront of high-profile management for most of his career, having managed glamorous sides such as Juventus, Chelsea, and Inter Milan. Starting his senior coaching career at Arezzo, he has also taken charge of Bari, Siena and Atalanta in Italy.
Of course, he has also dipped his toe into the waters of international football, stewarding his native Italy between the years of 2014 to 2016.
His trophy record is something to behold, winning nine trophies as a coach: the Serie A league title four times, one Premier League crown, two Italian Supercoppa trophies, one English FA Cup, and a solitary second-division Serie B title in charge of Bari in 2008-09.
Conte also took his Inter Milan side of 2019-20 to the final of the UEFA Europa League, losing out 3-2 to Sevilla in the final.
At 52 years of age, he could well go on to win several more trophies throughout his time in management. And Tottenham will hope some of that winning magic will rub off on Spurs since they're without a trophy since 2008.