I HAVE NOTHING BUT CONTEMPT
Jose’s latest barb in row with Conte
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 — over which Conte was cleared — in Italy.
He also said the Portuguese has dementia.
Mourinho claimed he wants to draw a line under the row after returning from a training break in Dubai yesterday but couldn’t resist another dig at the Italian.
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.’
The two Premier League bosses have traded barbs since the new year after Mourinho’s comment he did not feel the need to behave like “a clown” during games touched a nerve with Conte. That sparked an extraordinary war of words between the pair, where Conte accused Mourinho of having “demenza senile”, which directly translates as senile dementia, prompting the United boss to hit back. Yesterday, Mourinho conducted his first press conference since one of his Chelsea successor’s latest remarks.
Meanwhile, Antonio Valencia could return for United’s home clash with Stoke on Monday night.
The converted right-back has been out for almost a month with a hamstring injury but trained with Jose Mourinho’s team in Dubai this week along with Michael Carrick, who has not played since September having undergone a procedure to treat an irregular heart rhythm.
Ashley Young still has one match left to serve on his suspension while Eric Bailly (ankle) and Zlatan Ibrahimovic (knee) are missing once again. FORMER Manchester United defender Phil Neville is on the brink of becoming the next permanent manager of England women’s football team.
The FA have taken their time to identify the right person to take on the job following the sacking of Mark Sampson.
They want Neville to revamp England’s playing style and take the team forward to the 2019 World Cup in France.
Neville was first sounded out about the position before Christmas and the 40-year-old is said to be excited about taking on the project. He has made no secret of wanting to move into management.
Sampson, who was sacked under a cloud of controversy last September, was on a contract worth £120,000 per year.
Though the FA do not have plans in place to make a formal announcement, Neville — who will be allowed to continue with his commitments in the media — is expected to be officially appointed by the end of next week.
Having worked as a coach at Manchester United and Valencia, Neville turned down the chance to work as David Moyes’s assistant at West Ham in November.