Conte: My passion comes from my father
Chelsea manager reveals call from Italy telling him off for lack of anger against Watford, writes Ben Rumsby
His touchline antics are the source of the increasingly bitter feud with Jose Mourinho. And ahead of their first encounter since their latest war of words, Antonio Conte has revealed the real reason for them. Opening up like never before about his trademark wild celebrations and explosive tantrums, Conte divulged how it all stemmed from his father, Cosimo, who was his former youthteam coach – something that might explain why he took such offence at his predecessor at Chelsea insinuating such managers were “clowns”.
In a clear indication that he had no intention of toning things down ahead of this afternoon’s showdown with his nemesis at Manchester United, Conte said: “My first owner, when I started to play football, it was my father. He was the owner, the coach, the kit man, the groundsman. I spent my life from the start on the pitch following the team of my father. For this reason, I have to thank him for this passion, for the passion I have for this sport.”
His father’s influence remains undimmed, with Conte revealing that he had been chastised for failing to show enough passion during Chelsea’s shock 4-1 defeat at Watford this month. “My father watched the game against Watford and phoned me up and said, ‘I didn’t see you with the right anger, with the right passion’. He told me that. Maybe in the future, when I become older, I have to try and stay more calm and live more relaxed the game. But I think, also, this is my strength, to stay on the touchline and push my players, to push myself.”
And it is not just Conte’s father who frets when he is not doing so. “My wife and my daughter start to be worried when they don’t see me very active. Because that means I’m not happy. I was an assistant coach. In some games, I shouted more than the coach. A lot of times, at the end of the games, I had to say sorry. But this is my way to live the game.”
“I don’t see what happens on the other bench, or what the other manager does. In that moment, I’m alone and there is the pitch, my players, the game. I don’t see what happens because my focus is on the pitch. It’s great this, for me.”
Conte and Mourinho first fell out over the Italian’s celebrations when the United manager accused his successor at Chelsea of trying to humiliate him during his 4-0 defeat on his first return to Stamford Bridge.
So, despite not mentioning Conte in his remarks about clowns last month, the insinuation was obvious enough for their spat to turn nasty.
In a tawdry tit-for-tat that ran for more than a week, Conte responded by accusing Mourinho of having “demenza senile” by forgetting his own back catalogue of touchline theatrics. Mourinho bit back with an unsubtle reference to Conte’s suspension for failing to report match-fixing in Italy, prompting the latter to brand him “a little man” and a “fake” and challenge him to “meet me in a room, just me and him” at today’s game.
Conte refused to reignite their feud ahead of today’s game yet he appeared eager to justify the kind of behaviour that led to them falling out in the first place, his celebration of Chelsea’s fourth goal in what was Mourinho’s heaviest Premier League defeat.
“Sometimes, when you score early, then you don’t celebrate a lot because you know there are 70 or 80 minutes still to play,” Conte said. “If it’s near the end, you understand the win is very close, or if you score in the 90th or 91st minute, then it’s very difficult to control your emotions.” And then? “After the game, if we win, I think there is a great peace in myself,” he said. “If we win, it’s the best moment for me. I enjoy that moment and then I have to start preparing another game. When we lose, it’s not a good moment for me. I prefer to stay silent. After the game, it’s not good to speak. Especially if you are angry, it’s dangerous, dangerous. It’s important to calm yourself and take a day, two days to recover and then restart.”