‘Clown’ Conte launches scattergun attack
AFTER weeks of docile, drowsy press conferences in which he has largely borne the insults of other managers and the pressures of a faltering title defence with good grace, Antonio Conte finally snapped.
In an astonishing scattergun attack, Conte implied that Jose Mourinho was going senile; called Arsene Wenger an ‘‘old coach’’ who needs to accept refereeing decisions with more grace; distanced himself emphatically from the signing of Ross Barkley and the pursuit of Andy Carroll; and declared himself ‘‘ready to fight’’ anyone who criticises him or his squad.
Most explosive were Conte’s comments about Mourinho, who last week criticised coaches who ‘‘behave as a clown on the touchline’’ in remarks that were interpreted as an attack on Conte and Jurgen Klopp.
‘‘I think he has to see himself in the past, maybe he was speaking about himself in the past,’’ Conte said. ‘‘Sometimes I think someone forgets what they said in the past . . . his behaviours.’’
Lapsing into Italian and tapping his head to illustrate his point, he then said: ‘‘Sometimes I think there is demenza senile [senile dementia] when you forget what you do in the past.’’
Although Chelsea later insisted he had intended to say ‘‘amnesia’’, the meaning was clear. Conte then trained his sights on Wenger, irked by the Arsenal manager’s assertion that Chelsea benefited from a ‘‘farcical’’ penalty decision in the 2-2 draw between the clubs last week and that Eden Hazard dived.
‘‘I think if Arsene Wenger watched the game again, [he’d] understand he was very lucky during the game for refereeing decisions,’’ Conte said. ‘‘Wenger tries to find this way like other coaches and it is not good. You have to accept the decision. He is an old coach. He has experience, he won a lot, but he has to continue to do what he did in the past.’’
Days ago Conte was extolling the calming benefits of yoga, but it became evident that no amount of downwardfacing dog had been able to defuse the frustration that has been building at the behaviour of other managers.
‘‘I am not prepared like other persons to make a cinema,’’ he said. ‘‘There are other persons who prepare to have a cinema in the press conference, before the game and during the game. ‘‘I’m not this type of person. In my one year-and-a-half [at Chelsea], I never talk about other coaches or if I did, only to make compliments. But I am starting to be a bit annoyed. People who know me well in Italy [know] if you want to go fight with me, I am ready. I’m ready to fight for me, my players, the club – with everyone.’’
Conte also delivered a thinly disguised swipe at the club’s transfer business. ‘‘I gave my opinion to the club but the club then decide the players we can buy or we can sell.’’
TIMES