Antonio Conte claims he opted against joining Tottenham in the summer because the emotion of his Inter Milan exit was still too raw.
The Italian has been officially appointed as the new man in charge of Spurs, succeeding Nuno Espirito Santo, who was sacked on Monday.
Tottenham were on the look out for a new manager back in the summer having axed Jose Mourinho.
Conte was high on their list of candidates but he - along with a number of other individuals - turned down the opportunity.
Just four months later though and the 52-year-old, who led Chelsea to the Premier League in 2017, has taken up the post at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
He left Inter having won the Serie A title and didn't think it was right to jump straight back into management, but now found the timing to be right.
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Conte told the club's website : “Last summer our union did not happen because the end of my relationship with Inter was still too recent and emotionally too involved with the end of the season, so I felt that it wasn’t yet the right time to return to coaching.
“But the contagious enthusiasm and determination of Daniel Levy in wanting to entrust me with this task had already hit the mark.
"Now that the opportunity has returned, I have chosen to take it with great conviction.”
Conte has signed an 18-month deal, taking him up until the end of next season, with the option of an extension.
Tottenham have won five and lost five of their opening 10 games but still harbour ambitions of making the top four.
The north Londoners were regulars in the Champions League under Mauricio Pochettino, but have fallen away since.
Conte's arrival will signal new optimism due his glittering CV which has seen him claim trophies at Juventus, Chelsea and Inter.
Whilst in west London the Italian beat Tottenham to the league and in an FA Cup semi-final.
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His final game as Chelsea boss was the 2018 FA Cup final, which the Blues won 1-0 against Manchester United.
Tottenham chief Fabio Paratici has said: “We are delighted to welcome Antonio to the Club. His track record speaks for itself, with vast experience and trophies in both Italy and England.
“I know first-hand the qualities Antonio can bring to us, having worked with him at Juventus, and look forward to seeing his work with our talented group of players.”
