New Tottenham signing Richarlison believes head coach Antonio Conte is building a team capable of finally ending the club’s long wait for a piece of silverware next season.
Spurs have not won a major trophy since lifting the League Cup in 2008, but Conte has already been backed strongly in the transfer window, having propelled them back into the Champions League for the upcoming 2022/23 campaign.
Richarlison – who cost a cool £60m from Everton – was Tottenham’s fourth summer signing following the earlier arrivals of Fraser Forster, Ivan Perisic and Yves Bissouma. The quartet have since also been joined at the club by Barcelona loanee Clement Lenglet.
In his first interview with Tottenham’s official website, the Brazil international said he believed Spurs had all the ingredients to end their silverware drought next season.
“I think we have everything here to be happy this year,” he explained. “Antonio Conte is putting together a great team to be able to compete in all competitions. I think we’ll be very strong in all competitions, and we’ll fight for titles.
“The coach will prepare us very well for this because there are many competitions and now we have to be focused as much as possible. So, I think we have everything to make great competition, and in the end, we have everything to lift a trophy.”
Richarlison also revealed he was in disbelief when he heard of Tottenham’s offer.
“It feels like a dream,” he said. “I remember when I was in Brazil and came the offer from Tottenham, I couldn’t believe it. And after I signed the contract, even more so. When I arrived here it gave me a chill in my stomach to see my new teammates and a new home.
“Now it’s about working with the great coach I have, with great team-mates too. I hope to make history here in this shirt.”
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Richarlison will be fulfilling a lifelong dream when he makes his Champions League debut next season, and he admitted he might be moved to tears by that famous pre-match anthem.
“It’s a dream, isn’t it?” he continued. “I was even commenting with my friends that [watching on] the TV gave us goosebumps, just listening to the theme song. Now I can be inside the stadium, listening to that music at the start of the match and playing the Champions League.
“I always said it was my dream to play in the Champions League, and now this dream will come true. And let’s see what will happen, I hope to start this Champions League on the right foot.
“I don’t know, maybe I can cry, because it will be a special moment. To be there playing the Champions League, which I only watched on TV until last year, I was there on the sofa in my house, watching the Champions League, and I said it was my time to play there. All the players dream of playing in this great competition, so I think when the time comes, I’ll be quite emotional.”
