Antonio Conte has called Jose Mourinho a ‘little man’ after the Manchester United boss made a passing reference to the Chelsea manager’s previous suspension for match-fixing.
Mourinho and Conte have been involved in a war of words this week after the Manchester United boss suggested that the Chelsea manager behaves like a ‘clown’ on the touchline.
Conte responded to Mourinho by claiming that the Portuguese was ‘senile’ and pointed out that the United manager also has a history of being animated whilst watching matches.
After United’s 2-0 victory over Derby on Friday, Mourinho initially sympathised with Conte during his press conference but then referenced the Italian’s ban for match-fixing during the 2012-13 season.
Conte was suspended for four months for failing to report match-fixing during his time at Siena, but was later cleared of wrongdoing by a court in 2016.
‘I think its very difficult to answer this type of comment,’ Conte told BT Sport after Chelsea’s 0-0 draw with Norwich City in the FA Cup.
‘I think when a person the target is to offend, to insult another person, I think you’re a little man, but we all know him very well what’s in the past but he’s always the same.’
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Asked if he is annoyed by Mourinho’s comments, Conte replied: ‘No, but this is his way, it’s not a surprise for me, when you insult or offend another person you’re a little man, and I think he’s a little man.
‘Life goes on, I not worried about him. For sure, there is a good opportunity when we play against Manchester United to clarify in a room, me and him.
‘I repeat, I don’t like to speak about other coaches, I think when you tell something you have to take the responsibility for this, if you try to speak and then to keep the situation in general, you must have a big personality and big balls, to tell this and this, and I’m talking about this.’
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