Echoes from the past: How the Mourinho vs Conte feud began

After being received with open arms for a second stint at the Stamford Bridge in the 2013/2014 season, Jose Mourinho repaid the faith the Blues had in his expertise by guiding an elite band he put together to another title Premier League triumph the following season.

Things looked great and, for once, many thought the second marriage would last longer the first. Alas, perhaps due to ill-luck, the Portuguese manager saw his league-winning side put up a poor title defense in a season where football fans witnessed Leicester City do the unthinkable.

Long story short, "The Special One" parted ways with his once beloved Chelsea midway inside the season and watched on from afar as the Blues finished 10th after a forgettable campaign. After all was said and done, the lots fell on Juventus’ revered Antonio Conte who took over the reins from caretaker Guus Hiddink and the Italian quickly set the ball rolling for the 2016/2017 season.

Jose Mourinho, on the other hand, replaced the philosopher Louis Van Gaal in the Manchester United dugout after fans repeatedly called for the head of the Dutch manager. With that in place, the warfare between him and Conte was signed, sealed and delivered.

The Portuguese manager visited his old stomping grounds following his departure for the first time in October 2016. There, his Manchester United side fell to a humiliating 4:0 defeat. With the instigator in him triggered after witnessing his team being shredded apart, Jose unerringly took a dig at Antonio Conte’s celebration of the victory – the very dawn of what has been an interminable wrestle of words.

 "You don't celebrate like that at 4-0, you can do it at 1-0, otherwise it's humiliating for us," Mourinho declared in his post-match interview.  

But Conte, probably unaware of The Special One's repute of making fire out of nothing, subtly poured fuel onto the flame although with supposedly good intentions.

"I was a player. I know what the feeling is like (to score). I only told the fans to applaud the team because the team deserved it.

"There has always been respect for all, and naturally for Manchester United. Nothing happened. I did something absolutely normal. I didn't do anything to humiliate Mourinho," Conte declared.

Before the Blues who were on course to win the league title could pay Manchester United a visit at the Old Trafford, Jose Mourinho for some unknown reason, took a swipe at Antonio Conte’s side two months prior to their trip. 

"Chelsea are a very good defensive team.

"They defend very well and with lots of players and I think in this situation a very defensive team wins the title with counter-attack goals and set-pieces goals, so I don't think they will let it slip but football is football."

In April 2017 the Blues finally came to town, probably with the ambition of further stretching the gap between them and a Manchester United side that was struggling in the league and had resorted to securing automatic qualification into the 2017/2018 UCL season via the Europa League. However, the tables turned and Jose got the revenge he wanted – a 2:0 victory over his former side. 

Moving on, the drama was nowhere near over as Antonio Conte threw the first jab prior to the commencement of the 2017/2018 season. 

"Two years ago Chelsea finished 10th. That cannot happen again. We know the difficulty and for sure we want to avoid the Mourinho season with Chelsea.

"The coaches of the previous two champions [Chelsea and Leicester] both lost their jobs [the next season] and we are working very well to find the best solutions and use them."

Jose Mourinho, who was silently waiting in the dark after Conte's previous comments, sprang up to the scene when the former Juventus manager lamented injuries to his key players and the lack of depth on his bench. The Manchester United manager whom, at the time, saw his side getting a fair share of the injuries, felt indifferent towards Conte's sentiments.

"I never speak about injuries. Other managers, they cry, they cry, they cry when a player is injured.

"I don't cry; I think the way to do it is to ignore the players who are injured and focus on the players that are available.

"If I want to moan and cry like the others, I can cry for the next five minutes. But I don't."

And just as anticipated, a peeved Antonio Conte fell in the snare again and dished out a rebuttal. 

"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."

In November 2017, there was a calm before another storm as Conte emphasized the need to respect other coaches before his side’s 1:0 victory in Jose’s second visit to the Stamford Bridge with Man United. 

"It's not important, the relationship between the coaches. You have to respect the job of the other coach, and then stop there. I don't like to speak about other situations.

"I respect the job, but that stops, finish: he's an opponent, and I'm an opponent for him. He's an opponent, I stop, finish. I have respect for his job. He must have respect for my job."

Then came the “clown “jibe” in January, the utterer: Jose Mourinho. 

"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,” Jose stated.

"That passion, you see it every day. The way a person is dedicated to his work, not what you do in front of the cameras."

Here, no particular name or personality description was given by Jose Mourinho but due to the history between him and Antonio Conte, many attributed the taunt to the Italian. The former Juventus manager then retaliated with his own rendition, ending what had been a drama-free two months’ period.

"I think he has to see himself in the past - maybe he was speaking about himself in the past. Maybe, sometimes, I think that someone forgets what's said in the past, which is his behavior.

"Sometimes I think there is, I don't know the name, but 'demenza' senile... when you forget what you do in the past."

January was sent off with another bombshell being dropped by Conte’s nemesis. Going with the retrospective trend, Jose dug up a sensitive theme from his adversary’s past. 

"The only thing I want to say to end the story is that yes, I made mistakes in the past on the touchline.

"Yes, I will make less but I think I will still make a few.

"What never happened to me - and will never happen - is to be suspended for match-fixing. That never happened to me and will never happen."

With a ruffled ego and dignity, Conte came out once again to air his views on Jose’s comments about the mishap which took place during his time at Juventus. 

"I think before you make this type of comment, before to hurt another person, you must pay great attention. 

"You show you are a little man. A little man. You don’t know very well [what] is the situation. But I know him very well in the past. In the past he was a little man in many circumstances, is a little man in the present and for sure he will be a little man in the future.

"Also if he wants to try to change his behaviors… but the person’s this, Mourinho’s this. You know him very well. The level is very low. I repeat: I think before to speak you have to know very well what happened."

Both Mourinho and Conte have spoken ahead of the Super Sunday clash but it isn’t what many would have expected ahead of a game that will possibly have a huge bearing on who may or may not gain automatic qualification into next season’s UCL. This time, when asked about Mourinho, Conte declared:

"In the past, both of us said things. Okay, for me, it's okay. I'm not interested to speak about this topic."

His nemesis returned the favor by voicing out a relative response as well when queried on the subject. 

"I don't want to speak about it, I'm not going to speak about it. That's not the point - very good manager, fantastic team and that's what is important to me."

The coast may be clear for now but you will never know what will happen on the pitch-side. Until then, let’s enjoy just the football!