Jose Mourinho did not much appreciate Antonio Conte rallying the Stamford Bridge crowd after Chelsea’s fourth goal. Because no one does restrained touchline decorum like Mourinho.
Within moments of the full-time whistle at Stamford Bridge, everyone wanted to know what Jose Mourinho said to Antonio Conte during their post-match handshake. Even if you were not a Portuguese lip reader, Mourinho’s tone and emotion was unmistakable.
SkyItalia reported Mourinho telling his counterpart: “You don’t wind up the crowd at 4-0. You do it at 1-0. It’s humiliating.”
Conte, of course, denies any attempt at insult or humiliation. But in doing so, he flicked at one of Mourinho’s shortcomings among his peers and players.
"I was a football player, so I know how to behave on the pitch. I have great respect for everyone… [M]y behaviour seemed normal. I didn’t make fun of anyone, as I always demand respect. – SkySports"
A slight burn, but not enough for Conte to displace Arsene Wenger in Jose Mourinho’s deepest revenge fantasies.
The most generous interpretation is that this was Mourinho creating another of his trademark distractions. Mourinho has mastered the media to draw attention away from his players and take it on himself. Whether it is a silly comment about “parking a cow,” another round with Arsene or taking on another fine for commenting on the officials, Mourinho knows how to draw fire away from his locker room.
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Perhaps Mourinho was disappointed that Antonio Conte did not take the bait and escalate the situation into a full fiasco. Conte looked like he was about to shout something at Mourinho down the tunnel. He apparently thought better of it and greeted his players as they came off the pitch.
Mourinho’s comments are particularly laughable given his own touchline antics and previous statements about the atmosphere at Stamford Bridge. While in his second spell as Chelsea boss, Mourinho criticized the home fans for not being noisy enough in a Chelsea win.
"At this moment it’s difficult for us to play at home though, because playing here is like playing in an empty stadium… I think the man responsible for the lights was in the same mood as the crowd, because everybody was sleeping. – Daily Mail"
Perhaps Mourinho’s pique is little more than that of the quintessential jilted lover. “They never made those noises and got that excited for me.”
At the least charitable end of the scale, Jose Mourinho’s remarks to Antonio Conte are nothing more than petty, bitter hypocrisy. Mourinho capped many of Chelsea’s finest moments by charging down the touchline in celebration.
Antonio Conte stayed within his technical area as he tried to increase the volume around his home pitch after N’Golo Kante’s goal. Jose Mourinho, on the other hand, once left his technical area to stoke Chelsea fans at Anfield. His performance was complete with shouting, jumping and badge-thumping.
Chelsea fans loved Mourinho for his passion then, just as they love Conte for his #passion now. The fans were in an ebullient mood yesterday. There was little spite or negativity in their singing and cheering late in the game. Stamford Bridge witnessed a glorious win, and did not much care to bring the dark arts into it.
"If you want to cut the emotions, we can stay at home and I will change jobs. I did something absolutely normal. I didn’t do anything to humiliate Mourinho. – SkySports"
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Jose Mourinho, though, wanted otherwise. Antonio Conte beat him at his own game on his old pitch in front of the fans that used to chant his name and glorify his image. It appears that a special one who lives by the sword, dies by the sword.