"We Had A Step Forward": Antonio Conte Says Tottenham Are Making Progress Despite Champions League Exit

Tottenham manager Antonio Conte refused to criticize his players after watching them exit the UEFA Champions League at the hands of AC Milan.

Tottenham manager Antonio Conte refused to criticize his players after watching them exit the UEFA Champions League at the hands of AC Milan on Wednesday.

Spurs were held to a 0-0 draw at home that saw them lose 1-0 on aggregate following a narrow defeat in Italy three weeks earlier.

A 78th-minute red card for Cristian Romero saw Spurs end the game with 10 men.

Fans at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium booed and jeered after watching their team muster just two shots on target all night.

But Conte insisted in his post-match interview with BT Sport that his players had given their all.

Conte also tried to suggest that his team had improved since last season.

He did this by pointing out that reaching the last 16 in the Champions League is much better than failing to progress beyond the Europa Conference League group stage.

"I think the game was in the balance," said Conte.

"I think we can do much better offensively - I speak about the whole team, not only those who play in the front half. We can do much better.

"But I can't tell anything negative about the commitment of the players. They gave everything from the start to the end.

"We finished the game with 10 men. But if I have to see a positive situation it is that we had a step forward.

"We played in the Europa Conference League last year and weren't able to get out of the group stages.

"Now we took a step forward but it is not enough and if we want to be competitive, we have to fight."

Tottenham manager Antonio Conte pictured during his team's 0-0 draw with AC Milan, which saw the Italian club progress to the Champions League quarter-finals 1-0 on aggregate :: IMAGO/PA Images/John Walton

He added: "For sure in our mind it was to put pressure on with intensity but in the first half we found it difficult offensively.

"We found space to receive the ball and create one-vs-one but we struggled.

"We felt a bit of pressure. I think they need to play regularly this type of game to try to improve.

"I think everybody wants to go to the next round. In the first game we lost a good chance. Milan was without important players, like us.

"We have to continue to work. We have another game that we have to recover for. We have to try to reach the best possible position [in the Premier League] at the end of the season."