Gian Piero Ventrone

The Spurs manager alongside his entire squad will travel to Naples for the funeral of Vetrone on Sunday.

“I have to be honest, it was really difficult for us to be focused on the game,” Conte explained. “I have said many times the most important thing in a player is that he is a good person. “It was really difficult for everybody when I communicated the bad news to the players. “He made it very hard for me.” And Conte spoke of his pride at seeing his players maintain their performance and professionalism in the wake of the tragic events of the past week. “This is how he was,” said Conte.

Tottenham won 1-0 at Brighton just days after the passing of fitness coach Gian Piero Ventrone; the Italian was a popular man at Tottenham and was nicknamed ...

"It was incredible because he was really worried to miss the training and I said 'Gian Piero we are talking about your health'. To the backdrop of an empty stadium, the players were undertaking their first post-match fitness duties since the passing of their guru. It was hard not to get emotional walking down the steps from the press box at The Amex, long after the final whistle had gone and witness the Spurs substitutes doing their warm-down. When it happens, it is very difficult to cover your feeling with the players and with the people that work in Tottenham. The fitness coach was also part of Lippi's staff when Italy won the 2006 World Cup in Germany. I knew that the situation was really problematic after the game against Frankfurt [on Wednesday] but no one could have expected this situation because no one knew.

Tottenham Hotspur fitness coach Gian Piero Ventrone passed away early this week following a sudden illness.

"We are really devastated by the pain for what happened. Paying tribute to the renowned coach ahead of this evening's Premier League clash at Brighton & Hove Albion, Conte opened up on his great friend when speaking to Sky Sports to preview the match. Antonio Conte has paid tribute to Gian Piero Ventrone following the Tottenham fitness coach's death this week. "But sometimes life is not always positive situations. "I think to find words for Gian Piero is very difficult in this moment," said the Spurs head coach. [Conte](https://www.football.london/all-about/antonio-conte) brought the 61-year-old over to north London last November following his appointment as [Spurs](https://www.football.london/tottenham-hotspur-fc/) boss.

Tottenham paid tribute to Brighton in the best way possible to late fitness coach Gian Piero Ventrone by beating Brighton 1-0.The North London outfit.

But he commented on his friend in an interview with Sky Sports prior to the match, where he said: “To find words for Gian Piero is very difficult at this moment. [Harry Kane](https://talksport.com/who/harry-kane/) was quick to pay his respect to Ventrone – nicknamed ‘The Marine’ due to his intense training – after he broke the deadlock against Brighton. [popular member of the club’s dressing room](https://talksport.com/football/1212039/gian-piero-ventrone-zinedine-zidane-juventus-tottenham-antonio-conte/), Spurs players paid tributes to the Italian during their warm-up on the south coast. It turned out to be the only goal of the game as the visitors defended resolutely against the Seagulls to return to winnings ways after their 3-1 defeat to Arsenal. [tragic passing of the 61-year-old](https://talksport.com/football/1211814/tottenham-coach-gian-piero-ventrone-dies-harry-kane-heung-min-son-antonio-conte/) on Thursday morning ahead of their trip to the Amex Stadium. [Spurs](https://talksport.com/sport/football/team/113181/tottenham-hotspur/) in 2021 as part of Conte’s backroom team, died suddenly of fulminant leukaemia.