
Jose
Mourinho has responded to Antonio Conte's criticism by claiming his words
were misinterpreted.
Conte suggested that the Manchester United manager had forgotten some of his
own past behaviour when it was put to him that Mourinho had suggested that
he behaved like a clown on the touchline.
But the Portuguese coach insists he was only referring to himself when
discussing the fact that he has toned down his antics on the sidelines.
"I don't blame him," said Mourinho after Manchester United's 2-0 FA Cup
third round win over Derby at Old Trafford on Friday.
"Honestly, I don't blame him. The question that comes to him comes to him
wrong and because of that he has that out-of-control reaction. But I don't
blame him at all.
"I was asked about my passion and you know because most of you were in my
press conference I was speaking about myself. And then the question to the
Chelsea manager was like I told [them] that he behaved like a clown.
"So I don't blame the Chelsea manager at all and I understand the reaction
but I was talking about myself by saying that I don't need to behave like a
clown to show passion.
"Everybody knows that I don't need the Chelsea manager to know that I made
mistakes in the past and I will make mistakes in the future.
"I celebrated goals by running 50 metres. I celebrated goals by sliding on
my knees. I have celebrated by jumping into the crowd. I am not free of
that, especially if it is a winning goal in a specific moment.
"I am not free of an out-of-control reaction in the future. But what I was
trying to say is that I behaved badly in the past a few times and in this
moment I control myself much better.
"It doesn't mean that my passion is not the same. So, wrong question.
Obviously a strong answer but I don't blame [him].
"The only thing I want to say to Antonio Conte is that, yes, I made my
mistakes in the past on the touchline. Yes, I make less but I will [still]
make a few."