Tottenham manager Antonio Conte is among the leading football figures to pay heartfelt tribute following the death of Queen Elizabeth II.
Britain’s beloved longest-reigning monarch sadly passed away on Thursday afternoon at her Scottish home in Balmoral, aged 96.
The Queen had reigned for 70 years since acceding to the throne following the death of her father George VI in 1952, celebrating her Platinum Jubilee earlier in 2022.
She has been succeeded by her eldest son Charles, formerly the Prince of Wales.
The Queen’s passing led to an outpouring of grief across the world, with tributes paid to an iconic figure who had been a mainstay of British life for decades.
Sport and football were no different, with tributes paid across last night’s European fixtures involving Arsenal, West Ham, Manchester United and Hearts.
Countless sporting figures have also produced their own personal tributes to the Queen, including Spurs boss Antonio Conte.
The Italian took to social media to post a touching message of rememberance that featured one of the Queen’s own memorable quotes from her live 1957 Christmas Broadcast at Sandringham House, the first ever to be televised.
“It has always been easy to hate and destroy. To build and to cherish is much more difficult,” Conte wrote on Instagram beneath a picture of Elizabeth II. “Rest in peace, your majesty.”
Conte’s Tottenham are due to travel to Manchester City in a high-profile Premier League fixture on Saturday evening, though that game is now subject to doubt following the Queen’s passing.
The Premier League and EFL will announce plans regarding the potential postponement of this weekend’s fixtures later on Friday morning after receiving the necessary Government guidance.
