Conte ‘won’t forget’ war of words with Mourinho

ANTONIO CONTE says that he has no regrets about his public dispute with Jose Mourinho, and that he “won’t forget” what has happened.

Denying the need for intervention from the League Managers’ Association, the Chelsea boss said that “it’s a problem between me and him”.

Press conferences from the two managers since Friday have seen them exchange a number of surprisingly personal barbs, from the Manchester United boss referencing Conte’s acquittal for match-fixing, to the Italian describing Mourinho as a “little man”.

The Chelsea coach refused to escalate the row but, when asked about whether he regrets any comments, pointed to his face and stated: “I have this look, of a person that regrets? I don’t think so.

“I think we both said things, and we’ll see what happens in future.”

When asked whether the LMA contacted either manager, Conte said: “I think it’s not important, the association, you understand. It’s not important.

“He said a serious words, using serious words. And I won’t forget this… this is not a problem from the club, it’s a problem between me and him. I stop. Stop.”

Meanwhile, Conte has confirmed that Virgil van Dijk was a target for Chelsea before he moved to Liverpool, and it is understood that the Premier League champions are still looking for a centrehalf.

“For sure he was our target but as you know this is football. We can have a lot of targets but you must be able to reach those targets. The transfer market is not simple for any club.”

The signing of Van Dijk is one reason why Conte thinks that Liverpool will not really be weakened by the sale of Philippe Coutinho to Barcelona.

“But Liverpool bought Van Dijk to reinforce their defensive line, and I think he is a top defender.

“And they spent a lot... but at the same time, they sold very well, because when you sell a player for this amount of money, then you have the rest of money to invest, to improve your team,” Conte added. – The Independent