Jose Mourinho v Antonio Conte: A timeline of insults between the warring managers
Jose Mourinho locks horns with Antonio Conte at Stamford Bridge on Sunday
Manchester United take on Chelsea as part of a mouth-watering Nissan Super Sunday and there's certainly no love lost between the two managers ahead of the clash.
Jose Mourinho is renowned for picking fights with those in
the opposing dug-out, with Antonio Conte joining Arsene Wenger, Rafael
Benitez, Manuel Pellegrini and Pep Guardiola in being on the receiving
end of the Portuguese's prickly barbs.After seeing the Italian successfully reunite his disjointed squad and lead them to the Premier League title last season, Mourinho would love nothing more than to get one over him back at his old stomping ground as we chart the war of words between the pair.
Chelsea vs Man Utd
November 5, 2017, 4:15pm
October 2016 - Mourinho slams 'humiliating' Conte celebrations
Last
October, Mourinho endured a torrid return to Stamford Bridge, with
Conte's Chelsea comprehensively winning 4-0 thanks to goals from Pedro,
Gary Cahill, Eden Hazard and N'Golo Kante.
Mourinho's frustrations
were evident at the final whistle as he remonstrated with Conte about
his behaviour on the touchline, feeling the Italian had "humiliated" him
and his team with his hysterical celebrations.
Italian TV
reported that he angrily said to his rival at the final whistle: "You
don't celebrate like that at 4-0, you can do it at 1-0, otherwise it's
humiliating for us." It was certainly a prolonged handshake in which
pleasantries were in short supply.
Mourinho was unimpressed by Conte's celebrations in Chelsea's 4-0 win over Man Utd
November 2016 - Conte questions why Victor Moses was overlooked
Chelsea signed Victor Moses from Wigan in 2012 but Mourinho overlooked him, regularly sending him out on loan.
The
Nigeria international starred in the title triumph last season,
however, and Conte was only too happy to highlight his own good work
while claiming his predecessor had missed a trick.
"I noticed his potential from the first days of the summer retreat," Conte told Gazzetta dello Sport.
"Moses
has important qualities: technique, physical strength, the ability to
cover seventy metres of the pitch. I find it incredible that someone
like him has been overlooked."
February 2017 - Mourinho calls Chelsea defensive
Mourinho
backed Chelsea to win the title back in February, but aimed a sly dig
at Conte in doing so. The United boss labelled the Blues' style of play
as 'defensive', despite sitting top of the league.
"Chelsea are a very good defensive team," he said.
"They
defend very well and with lots of players and I think in this situation
a very defensive team wins the title with counter-attack goals and
set-pieces goals, so I don't think they will let it slip but football is
football."
March 2017 - Conte responds to Mourinho's red card complaints
The
clubs were drawn to face each other in the FA Cup quarter-finals last
term in a game that hinged on a controversial decision by Michael
Olivier to send off Ander Herrera. After N'Golo Kante's strike had
settled the contest, Mourinho said: "I don't speak [about the red card].
"Everybody
can analyse from different perspectives but we all watch the match
until the red card and after the red card. So we can compare the
decisions of the two yellow cards, in this case with others which were
not given."
When Conte was asked about Mourinho's comments, he
preferred to focus on Eden Hazard being persistently fouled, saying: "He
started the game, but he couldn't play football. Everyone could see
this so can judge the situation."
Mourinho was distraught at Ander Herrera's sending off in March
April 2017 - United's spending criticised by Conte
Conte aimed a sly dig at both Manchester clubs after his reminder that money does not guarantee success.
Mourinho
spent over £150m on transfers but Conte said: "I think this season it's
very important to understand that it's not always who spends more money
who wins.
"Otherwise, in this league this season, the name of the
team (who would win the title) wasn't Chelsea or Tottenham or Arsenal
or Liverpool. You understand?
"This season isn't the only season the Manchester clubs have spent a lot of money. Look at the past. It's normal."
Mourinho avenged two away defeats with a win at Old Trafford in April
July 2017 - Mourinho makes dig at Conte's hair transplant
Conte took a veiled shot at Mourinho in the summer after guiding his side to the Premier League title.
Speaking
in July, Conte delivered a warning to his players, saying: "Two years
ago Chelsea finished 10th. That cannot happen again. We know the
difficulty and for sure we want to avoid the Mourinho season with
Chelsea.
"The coaches of the previous two champions [Chelsea and
Leicester] both lost their jobs [the next season] and we are working
very well to find the best solutions and use them."
The United
boss was reluctant to return fire directly, but couldn't resist a subtle
acknowledgement of the efforts made by the former Juventus midfielder
in elaborately restoring his hairline.
"I don't know," he said. "I could answer in many different ways but I'm not going to lose my hair to speak about Antonio Conte."
Conte has hit back at Mourinho's comments about Chelsea's injury situation
October 2017 - Conte tells Mourinho to keep out of his business
Last
month, after United had beaten Benfica in the Champions League,
Mourinho decided to reignite his feud with Conte, telling the press: "I
never speak about injuries. Other managers, they cry, they cry, they cry
when a player is injured.
"I don't cry; I think the way to do it
is ignore the players who are injured and focus on the players that are
available. If I want to moan and cry like the others, I can cry for the
next five minutes. But I don't."
Conte told his predecessor to mind his own business when the subject was raised to him later that night.
"I
think he has to think about his team and start looking at himself, not
others. I think that, a lot of times, Mourinho [likes to concentrate on]
what is happening at Chelsea. A lot of times, also last season. [He
has] to think about his team."
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