Jose Mourinho v Antonio Conte - The best bits

- ​January 4 2018 - Mourinho: "I don't behave as a clown" -

The first shot across the bow came from the United boss. A series of insipid performances saw United beaten by Bristol City in the Carabao Cuyp before drawing with Leicester, Burnley and Southampton in the Premier League, with Mourinho's lack of animation on the touchline being questioned.

"Because I don't behave as a clown on the touchline it means I lost my passion?" Mourinho replied. "I prefer to do it the way I do it. 

"Much more mature. Netter for my team and myself. You don't have to behave like a crazy guy on the touchline.

"The way a person is dedicated to his work, not what you do in front of the cameras."

The comments were widely considered a dig at both Conte and Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp.

- January 5 2018 - Conte: "Demenza senile" - 

Never one to back down when challenge Conte responded in kind at the first opportunity, pointing out Mourinho's hipocritical behaviour given some of his inflamatory actions on the touchline during his career.

"Maybe sometimes I think that someone forget what they said in the past or which is his behaviours and sometimes I think there is, I don't know the name, demenza senile, when you are a bit, when you forget what you do in the past,' Conte said.

"It is like amnesia when you can't remember things. When you forgot what you say in the past, your behaviours and when you totally forgot, you must be worried when this happens because it means you are becoming old and you need a check.

"I must be honest, I don't read (what other managers say). The only opportunity to know about these situations is during the press conference. I am not prepared like other persons to make a cinema because there are other persons who prepare to have a cinema in the press conference, before the game and during the game. I am not this type of person.

"In my one-year-and-a-half (at Chelsea) I never talk about other coaches or if I spoke about other coaches, it was only to make compliments. Otherwise, I stay silent, but I repeat in this situation you must have respect and I think that I do this but I am starting to be a bit annoyed because once, twice...

"For this reason you must pay great attention when you speak because if you want to go to fight with me I am ready. I have zero problems. I am improving a bit my English because this is the real problem for me otherwise we can go to fight. I'm ready to fight for me, my players, the club, with everyone, I have no problem."

- January 5 2018 - Mourinho: "What never happened to me... is to be suspended for match-fixing" - 

This one was somewhat below the belt from the Portuguese as he brought up a suspension handed to Conte by the Italian courts for failing to report match-fixing at previous club Siena, though he was later acquitted in 2016.

"The only thing I want to say to end the story is that, yes, I made mistakes in the past on the touchline. Yes, I will make less but I think I will still make a few," Mourinho admitted.

"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.'

- January 6 2018 - Conte: "Mourinho is a little man" - 

Clearly irked by Mourinho's latest barb, Conte found himself in front of the press again and he didn't hold back.

"The truth is that I was banned for four months for failure to report," Conte clarified. "Then I asked for a real trial by court and they declared my innocence.

"I think before you make this type of comment, to hurt another person, you must pay great attention. You show you are a little man. A little man.

"You [Mourinho] don't know very well what is the situation. But I know him very well in the past.

"In the past he was a little man in many circumstances, he is a little man in the present and for sure he will be a little man in the future.

"Mourinho is this. You know him very well. The level is very low. But that is not my problem. I consider him a little man, I consider him a man with a very low profile."

- January 12 2018 - Conte: "I will not forget this" - 

Speaking ahead of Chelsea's Carabao Cup semi-final first leg clash with Arsenal, Conte rubbished suggestions that the row could be swept under the carpet, saying: "Have a look at this face, is it of a person that regrets? I don't think so.

"I think we both said things, and we'll see what happens in the future. He said serious words and I won't forget this.

"This is not a problem from the club, it's a problem between me and him."

- January 12 2018: Mourinho: "Contempt means end of story" -

After a week of intense media scrutiny and headline news, Mourinho finally appeared to draw a line under the war of words ahead of United's game against Stoke.

"I think when a person insults another, you can expect a response or you can expect contempt, silence," Mourinho said.

"The first time he insulted me, I had a response that I know that touched the point where he really feels hurt.'

"Then he insulted me for a second time, but now I change. For me, contempt means end of the story."