After losing to AC Milan 1-0 on aggregate in the Champions League last 16 after a 0-0 draw on Wednesday, Antonio Conte claimed that Spurs still needed more time to establish themselves as a major European force.
Spurs' 15-year trophy drought will continue for at least another season if they get knocked out from Europe soon after losing in the FA Cup.
Tottenham was ineffective in attack and had to play the final 12 minutes with a man down when Cristian Romero was sent off for two bookable offences, so Conte's return to the sidelines failed to spur a response from his team.
I'm genuinely sorry for the supporters. Conte added that we could not create a victory or hold out hope that a trophy would miraculously appear on our practice field one day.
Did you read this?
"We need to be patient and build. Given Tottenham's long losing streak, I can appreciate the fans' lack of patience".
Milan advances to the quarterfinals for the first time since 2012 with victory over two legs.
Olivier Giroud, a Milan forward remarked, "We deserved this outcome, even though we could have scored more.
"We played with quality and heart, and we had a chance to win tonight."
- Conte Animated
Due to traffic, both teams arrived later than expected, which caused a 10-minute delay in kickoff, although it took much longer for the game to start.
After needing additional time to recover from gallbladder surgery following the first leg, Conte was back in control.
The Italian was agitated as usual and received a yellow card from referee Clement Turpin for his outbursts regarding Clement Lenglet's booking.
However, his team needed more enthusiasm, and Spurs struggled to perform.
Only two of Tottenham's last seven games have ended in victories, including an FA Cup loss to second-tier Sheffield United.
Conte's contract ends at the end of the campaign, and he made little effort to alleviate rumours that he will resign.
"The situation is pronounced. I've been Tottenham's coach for a year and three months, and I've constantly repeated the same things", Conte continued.
"We need time and patience because we don't have a strong enough foundation to be competitive and win".
"At present, the club is well aware of my opinions, and I get along well with my chairman and the sporting director, Fabio Paratici, but that doesn't mean I don't share my vision with them".
"We must now complete the season. Although I'm glad to work in Tottenham, we'll ultimately decide".
The game's solitary goal came from Brahim Diaz, whose jinking run inside the Spurs area was denied by Fraser Forster's extended leg.
At least Mike Maignan had to make a save for Spurs 25 minutes from time as he deflected Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg's shot.
For the final 20 minutes, Conte took a chance by switching to a forward four, with Richarlison partnering Harry Kane, Dejan Kulusevski, and Son Heung-min up front.
The lone opportunity for Kane to save his team came in the final seconds, but Maignan made a good save of his header.
Because of Romero's misconduct, the Spurs were already short one player.
After lunging at Theo Hernandez, the Argentine was penalized for the third time in his Spurs career.
Sandro Tonali, who had teammates supporting him, blew another excellent opportunity at the opposite end of the field before Divock Origi's shot hit the inside of the post.
Yet, it made no difference since the seven-time European champions hung on to end a more than ten-year wait to get to the last eight.
