Jose Mourinho has hit back at Antonio Conte by saying he has nothing but contempt for the Chelsea manager.
Conte has waged a bitter war of words with Mourinho, branding him ‘a little man’ and ‘fake’ after the Manchester United boss brought up his rival’s match-fixing controversy in Italy. He also claimed the Portuguese coach has senile dementia.
Mourinho claimed that he wants to draw a line under the unseemly row after returning from a warm weather training break in Dubai on Friday, but couldn’t resist another dig at Conte.
He said: ‘I think when a person insults another, you can expect a response. Or you can expect contempt, silence.
‘The first time he insulted me I had a response; a response that I know touched the point where he really feels hurt.
‘Then he insulted me for a second time, but now I change. Now contempt and, for me, contempt means end of the story.’
Although Mourinho and Conte have regularly taken shots at one another since Conte arrived at Stamford Bridge at the start of the last season, the latest trade of insults has become one of the bitterest in Premier League history.
Mourinho appeared to open up old wounds earlier this month after suggesting his rival manager acts like ‘a clown’ on the touchline, an accusation that inspired Conte to describe Mourinho as suffering ‘senile dementia’.
A club spokesman later claimed Conte meant to say amnesia, but the damage was done and Mourinho took the first opportunity to dig up the Italian’s controversial past with reference to his previous ban for match-fixing, for which he was later cleared.
Mourinho said: ‘What never happened to me – and will never happen – is to be suspended for match-fixing. That never happened to me and will never happen.’
Most recently, Conte then labelled Mourinho a ‘little, little man’ in a tirade which saw the 0-0 draw against Norwich almost completely passed over in his post-match press conference.
The pair will meet on the touchline on February 25 when Manchester United host Chelsea in what is likely to be a fierce battle for second place in the Premier League.
