Tottenham Hotspur forward Richardson has questioned Antonio Conte’s decision to keep him on the bench for his side’s UEFA Champions League encounter against AC Milan.
The Brazilian started three of Spurs’ four matches in the Premier League and FA Cup ahead of their home match against the Rossoneri on Wednesday, 8 March. He came off the bench very late in the 1–0 league defeat against Wolverhampton Wanderers at the weekend. ,
It’s worth noting that Conte was absent from the dugout for four of those games after recovering from gall bladder surgery. The Italian returns for a crunch Champions League round of 16 second leg against Milan on Wednesday.
Upon his return, Conte once again named Richardson as a substitute, much to the attacker’s frustration. The Tottenham forward told TNT Sport after the match on Wednesday (as quoted by Fabrizio Romano on Twitter):
“I’m honest, this season has been s**t. I want to play.” I didn’t understand [Conte’s choice]. I was in a positive moment… and Conte put me on the bench again. Yesterday, they tested me in the starting XI and then… the bench, again.
Richardson received some pitch time in his team’s clash against the Rossoneri in the 70th minute, replacing Emerson Royal. He had 10 touches on the ball and passed one while picking up two fouls and two doubles.
However, with the 78th-minute dismissal of Cristian Romero not helping Tottenham’s cause, the Brazilian could not get on the scoresheet as the game ended 0–0. The result meant Conte’s side were knocked out of the Champions League 1-0 on aggregate after AC Milan secured a narrow victory in the first leg last month.