Tottenham Hotspur players got a taste of how brutal Antonio Conte's pre-season training can be on Monday in Seoul, South Korea. As reported by The Sun, Conte's stringent training regime saw their star striker Harry Kane throw up while local hero Heung-min Son collapsed on the pitch.
Spurs put on a two-hour practice session in front of 6,000 fans at the Seoul World Cup Stadium on Monday, July 11 evening local time. The grueling two-hour training session in the sultry heat of a South Korean summer was simply too much for most Tottenham players.
At first, the players seemed to be getting on with Conte's training methods even in the humid conditions of South Korea.
Swedish winger Dejan Kulusevski was a casualty early on as he picked up a probable calf issue inside the first 30 minutes.
Later, most players failed to cope with full-pitch runs right at the end, with the star duo of Kane and Son particularly struggling.
Alongside fitness instructor Gian Piero Ventrone, Conte ordered his players to do up to 42 laps of the 105 meter-long pitch. Players who had just returned from international duties were instructed to do only 30 laps.
Kane first came down to his knees at the end of a run and threw up on the side of the pitch. Local lad Heung-min Son then began to show signs of pain, throwing himself down onto the grass and rolling on to his back.
The duo, however, got back on their feet and eventually completed the training session.
New signing Yves Bissouma also looked uncomfortable. He had to sit down on the ground at one point, having taken part in Spurs’ third session in just over 24 hours in the Far East.
The quartet of Davinson Sanchez, Pape Matar Sarr, Bryan Gil and Troy Parrott stood out for the Lilywhites during Conte's ruthless training regime, finishing first in the final length.
Conte is known to be a strict disciplinarian and this pre-season regime is presumed to get players back in shape ahead of the 2022-23 season.
Tottenham Hotspur need to be taken seriously this season
Over the last few years, we have seen Manchester City and Liverpool create a considerable gap between themselves and their rivals.
If anyone among the chasing pack can challenge the duopoly next season, it will most likely be Tottenham Hotspur.
Conte is one of the best managers in the world who has always delivered and could turn Spurs into serious Premier League contenders. Daniel Levy has backed the Italian quite well this summer and has brought in quality players like Bissouma, Richarlison, Clement Lenglet among others.
Tottenham Hotspur may have what it takes to surprise many next season thanks to Conte's sheer presence at the club.