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Jose Mourinho v Antonio Conte: A timeline of quotes between the rival managers

Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte watch from the touchline at Stamford Bridge

Jose Mourinho says his feud with Antonio Conte is over but what have they said about each other?

Mourinho is renowned for picking fights with those in the opposing dugout, with Conte joining Arsene Wenger, Rafael Benitez, Manuel Pellegrini and Pep Guardiola in being on the receiving end of his prickly barbs.

It has become one the biggest managerial rivalries in the Premier League, but what has been said as Mourinho and Conte prepare to go head to head again in the FA Cup final on Saturday?

October 2016 - Mourinho slams 'humiliating' Conte celebrations

Mourinho endured a torrid return to Stamford Bridge, with Conte's Chelsea comprehensively winning 4-0 thanks to goals from Pedro, Gary Cahill, Eden Hazard and N'Golo Kante.

Mourinho's frustrations were evident at the final whistle as he remonstrated with Conte about his behaviour on the touchline, feeling the Italian had "humiliated" him and his team with his hysterical celebrations.

Italian TV reported that he angrily said to his rival at the final whistle: "You don't celebrate like that at 4-0, you can do it at 1-0, otherwise it's humiliating for us." It was certainly a prolonged handshake in which pleasantries were in short supply.

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LONDON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 23:  Chelsea manager Antonio Conte and Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho exchange words at the end of the Premier League ma
Image: Mourinho was unimpressed by Conte's celebrations in Chelsea's 4-0 win over Man Utd

November 2016 - Conte questions why Victor Moses was overlooked

Chelsea signed Victor Moses from Wigan in 2012 but Mourinho overlooked him, regularly sending him out on loan.

The Nigeria international starred in the title triumph last season, however, and Conte was only too happy to highlight his own good work while claiming his predecessor had missed a trick.

"I noticed his potential from the first days of the summer retreat," Conte told Gazzetta dello Sport.

"Moses has important qualities: technique, physical strength, the ability to cover 70 metres of the pitch. I find it incredible that someone like him has been overlooked."

LONDON, ENGLAND - AUGUST 20: Victor Moses of Chelsea and Ben Davies of Tottenham Hotspur battle for possession.
Image: Victor Moses has resurrected his Chelsea career under Conte

February 2017 - Mourinho calls Chelsea defensive

Mourinho backed Chelsea to win the title back in February, but aimed a sly dig at Conte in doing so. The United boss labelled the Blues' style of play as 'defensive', despite sitting top of the league.

"Chelsea are a very good defensive team," he said.

"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."

March 2017 - Conte responds to Mourinho's red card complaints

The clubs were drawn to face each other in the FA Cup quarter-finals last term in a game that hinged on a controversial decision by Michael Oliver to send off Ander Herrera. After N'Golo Kante's strike had settled the contest, Mourinho said: "I don't speak [about the red card].

"Everybody can analyse from different perspectives but we all watch the match until the red card and after the red card. So we can compare the decisions of the two yellow cards, in this case with others which were not given."

When Conte was asked about Mourinho's comments, he preferred to focus on Eden Hazard being persistently fouled, saying: "He started the game, but he couldn't play football. Everyone could see this so can judge the situation."

<<enter caption here>> at Stamford Bridge on March 13, 2017 in London, England.
Image: Mourinho was distraught at Ander Herrera's sending off in March

April 2017 - United's spending criticised by Conte

Conte aimed a sly dig at both Manchester clubs after his reminder that money does not guarantee success.

Mourinho spent over £150m on transfers but Conte said: "I think this season it's very important to understand that it's not always who spends more money who wins.

"Otherwise, in this league this season, the name of the team (who would win the title) wasn't Chelsea or Tottenham or Arsenal or Liverpool. You understand?

"This season isn't the only season the Manchester clubs have spent a lot of money. Look at the past. It's normal."

during the Premier League match between Manchester United and Chelsea at Old Trafford on April 16, 2017 in Manchester, England.
Image: Mourinho avenged two away defeats with a win at Old Trafford in April

July 2017 - Mourinho makes dig at Conte's hair transplant

Conte took a veiled shot at Mourinho in the summer after guiding his side to the Premier League title.

Speaking in July, Conte delivered a warning to his players, saying: "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."

The United boss was reluctant to return fire directly, but couldn't resist a subtle acknowledgement of the efforts made by the former Juventus midfielder in elaborately restoring his hairline.

"I don't know," he said. "I could answer in many different ways but I'm not going to lose my hair to speak about Antonio Conte."

October 2017 - Conte tells Mourinho to keep out of his business

In October, after United had beaten Benfica in the Champions League, Mourinho decided to reignite his feud with Conte, telling the press: "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 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."

Conte told his predecessor to mind his own business when the subject was raised to him later that night.

"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."

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Here's a look at how the war of words escalated between Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte

January 2018 - Mourinho infers that Conte is a clown

Perhaps with Conte's celebrations in October 2016 still etched in his memory, Mourinho suggested that rival managers behaved like 'clowns' on the touchline while declaring his commitment to Manchester United.

"Because I don't behave as a clown on the touchline, it means that I lost my passion," he said.

"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."

When Conte was asked about Mourinho's comments, he used the Italian phrase "demenza senile" in relation to the Manchester United manager, which translates as senile dementia.

during the Premier League match between Manchester United and Southampton at Old Trafford on December 30, 2017 in Manchester, England.
Image: Mourinho has generally toned down his touchline antics over recent seasons

A club spokesperson later confirmed that he had meant to say amnesia.

"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 behaviour," he said.

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

January 2018 - Mourinho alludes to Conte's match-fixing suspension

Mourinho continued his feud on Friday after Manchester United's win over Derby County in the FA Cup by declaring that he would never be banned for match-fixing.

In 2012, the Italian Football Federation accused Conte of failing to report alleged match-fixing involving his former club Siena during the 2010-11 season.

SIENA, ITALY - NOVEMBER 22:  Atalanta head coach Antonio Conte gestures during the Serie A match between Siena and Atalanta at Stadio Artemio Franchi on No
Image: Conte led Siena to promotion to Serie A during the 2010-11 season

Conte received a ten-month suspension which was later reduced to four months before being acquitted of the charges in 2016.

Mourinho said: "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."

January 2018 - Conte labels Mourinho a 'little man'

Speaking after Chelsea's 0-0 FA Cup draw with Norwich on Saturday, Conte responded to Mourinho's comments the previous day, repeatedly referring to his adversary as a 'little man'.

"I think when there are these types of comments, comments where you try to offend the person and don't know the truth, then you are a little man," he said.

"In the past he was a little man in many circumstances, he's a little man in the present and for sure he will be a little man in the future. I consider him a little man and I consider him a man with a very low profile."

Chelsea's Italian head coach Antonio Conte waits for kick off of the English FA Cup third round football match between Norwich City and Chelsea at Carrow R
Image: Conte labelled Mourinho a 'fake' for showing his support to Claudio Ranieri after his Leicester sacking

Conte didn't stop there either, calling Mourinho a 'fake' as well as stoking the fire ahead of Chelsea's upcoming Premier League clash against Manchester United in February.

"I remember with Ranieri when he [Mourinho] offended him for his English. And then when Ranieri was sacked he put on a shirt for Ranieri. You are fake, you are fake," he said.

He added: "When is the game against United? We can meet in a room. To try and explain about these comments. I don't know if he is ready to meet me in a room, just me and him."

January 2018 - Mourinho asks for apology

Speaking in the build-up to United's 3-0 win over Stoke on January 15, Mourinho described his war of words with Conte as "funny" and insisted it was over.

"When I don't start it's quite funny for me to see other people on the other side acting like victims when they're not the victims," he said. "But, really, I don't enjoy. That's why, for me, it's over."

Paul Pogba takes instructions from Jose Mourinho during Manchester United's clash with Sevilla
Image: Jose Mourinho gives instructions to Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba

Mourinho went on to suggest that Conte should be "man enough" to say sorry in the same way he did to Ranieri after mocking his failure to grasp the English language during his time in charge of Chelsea.

"Sometimes it's my fault," he said. "Sometimes it's other managers' fault. In my case, when I think it's my fault and I should behave in a different way I'm the first one to apologise, like I did with Ranieri when I had the chance.

"That's when our relations went from bad to good and from good to very good, because I was man enough to apologise."

February 2018 - End of the feud

After the apologies from Mourinho, there was a smile and a handshake between the pair ahead of a meeting at Old Trafford on February 25.

And, even after Manchester United came from behind to beat Chelsea 2-1, there was another handshake at full-time, followed by talks in Mourinho's office.

Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte after the final whistle at Old Trafford
Image: Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte shook hands in February

"I think the handshake doesn't need any words," said Mourinho afterwards. "I think that's what me and Antonio will want to show to everyone.

"The handshake before and after the match is an example that everything in football you have to move on and you have to respect each other."

April/May 2018 - Final awaits

After Chelsea beat Southampton to set up an FA Cup final clash with United, Conte was quizzed about his relationship with Mourinho.

"I think with Jose we have clarified the situation and that is the most important thing. There is not a problem between him and I," said the Chelsea boss.

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Deco tells Sky Sports News' James Dale that Manchester United knew what they were getting when they hired Jose Mourinho

Mourinho has backed up Conte's comments ahead of the final, telling Portuguese newspaper Record: "It's okay. It's okay. He stretched out [to shake hands], I stretched out. We got bored.

"After the game in Manchester, I invited him to come to my office. We talked. Nothing's wrong."

What will happen when the pair meet again at Wembley on Saturday?

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