16 October 2023 , 18:39
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Antonio Conte has revealed he wants to manage Roma and has spoken of his many clashes with current boss Jose Mourinho.
The Italian has been out of football for six months after leaving his role at Tottenham after 18 months in north London. The decorated and highly successful coach is now being mentioned as a potential candidate for the Serie A champions, where Rudi Garcia is under pressure.
Luciano Spalletti left Napoli at the end of last season after leading the club to their first league title in 32 years. He was replaced at the helm by Garcia, but they have made an underwhelming start to the campaign with just 14 points in their opening eight league games and winless in the Champions League.
Former Italy national team coach Conte has previously won multiple Serie A titles as boss of Juventus and Inter, while his future appears to lie back in his home nation after spells with Chelsea and Tottenham in the Premier League. He has now spoken of his desire to return to Italy.
“Those are two clubs that I’d like to try for the passion fans have,” Conte said of Roma and Napoli, in an interview with Rai TV program Belve, with quotes translated by Football Italia. “I hope one day I’ll have a chance to live this experience.” He also added that he will not take a job in the middle of the season as "those situations have been created before I arrive" - a clear message to Spurs, where he was appointed in November 2021.
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Conte also opened up on his frequent clashes with Mourinho, the current Roma boss, claiming that he once said to the Portuguese: “I’ll see you in my office.” When pressed on further details, the former Spurs boss added: “I come from the street, never forget it.”
The Italian’s tenure in English football was played to a backdrop of an ongoing feud with Mourinho, fuelled by Conte being the permanent successor to the Portuguese at Chelsea. With Mourinho’s appointment at United coinciding with Conte joining the Blues, the two developed a personal animosity over the two seasons the Italian was in the Premier League.
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Mourinho and Conte frequently clashed on the touchline (Getty Images)Conte was the latest manager to become embroiled in a spat with Mourinho, following on from the likes of Arsene Wenger, Rafael Benitez, Manuel Pellegrini and Pep Guardiola. It all began with Mourinho claiming Conte “humiliated” him and United with his exuberant celebrations after the Blues beat the visitors 4-0 at Stamford Bridge in October 2016.
At the full-time whistle, the Portuguese went over to Conte and became involved in a long handshake with words exchanged, which did not appear to be particularly pleasant. Mourinho said after the game: "You don't celebrate like that at 4-0, you can do it at 1-0, otherwise it's humiliating for us."
It was the following summer that hostilities between the two really were notched up. Conte directly referenced “we want to avoid the Mourinho season” at the Blues, alluding to the club’s previous title defence – which saw them slip to mid-table under the Portuguese the following season.
Mourinho did not wish to show his anger at this but did make a subtle return dig at the Italian by appearing to reference his hairline. Conte’s hairline has been impressively restored in the years following his retirement from playing – a fact that had not appeared to escape Mourinho, who said: "I could answer in many different ways but I'm not going to lose my hair to speak about Antonio Conte."
Mourinho and Conte shared a prolonged frosty relationshipA few months later, Mourinho fuelled the flames again by insisting he “would not cry over injuries” like other clubs – a comment that Conte took to heart. The former midfielder responded: "I think he has to think about his team and start looking at himself, not others.
"I think that, a lot of times, Mourinho [likes to concentrate on] what is happening at Chelsea. A lot of times, also last season. [He has] to think about his team."
By January, the situation appeared to reach boiling point as Mourinho inferred that his rivals – without specifically naming anyone – acted like ‘clowns’ on the touchline, which could have been interpreted as an attack on Conte’s frantic touchline manner.
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Mourinho had said: "Because I don't behave as a clown on the touchline, it means that I lost my passion. I prefer to behave the way I am doing it, much more mature, better for my team and myself, I don't think you have to behave like a crazy guy on the touchline to have that passion."
Conte’s response to this provoked some concern, using the phrase “demenza senile” in relation to Mourinho – translating as ‘senile dementia’, which Chelsea were later keen to point out had been a misspeak on Conte’s behalf that had meant to be ‘amnesia’.
Mourinho’s response would be referring to ‘match-fixing’ in relation to Conte’s time at his former club Siena during the 2010-11 season when he was accused by the Italian Football Federation of failing to report match-fixing during his time at the club. The Italian was initially handed a 10-month suspension from football that was later reduced to four months before being acquitted of the charges in 2016, before his move to Stamford Bridge.
Conte hit back again, referring to his opponent as a “little man”. It did not stop there, with Conte’s apparent fury at Mourinho overspilling in a press conference by constantly calling him a “fake” before calling for the two to be left alone in a room to settle their differences.
It was at this point that Mourinho attempted to pour cold water on the situation in an attempt to scale back the hostilities. He told reporters after his United side saw off Stoke City 3-0 in a Premier League clash in January that it was “over”, but did slip in two more jabs – claiming Conte was “acting like” a victim, before calling on him to be “man enough” to offer an apology.