Mourinho on Conte's handshake snub: 'I cannot go and run to chase him'

Published on: 05 November 2017

Alvaro Morata's excellent second-half header was just enough for Chelsea to clinch a deserved 1-0 win over Man United. Alvaro Morata's excellent second-half header was just enough for Chelsea to clinch a deserved 1-0 win over Man United.

Jose Mourinho responded to Antonio Conte's handshake snub following Manchester United's 1-0 loss to Chelsea on Sunday, saying his congratulating the Blues boss' assistant was enough.

After the final whistle at Stamford Bridge, Conte appeared to go onto the pitch to celebrate with his players rather than shake Mourinho's hand.

The United manager, however, insisted he had done his part.

He said: "You want me to go and chase him in the middle of the pitch? I was there.

"I shook hands with the people who were there. I think one of them was his brother, the assistant, so I feel that by shaking the hands of his brother and the other assistants that I did my duty.

"I cannot go and run to chase him."

Mourinho also admitted he is "worried" about Manchester City's lead in the title race, while insisting United can make up ground when Paul Pogba and Zlatan Ibrahimovic return from injury.

City beat Arsenal 3-1 earlier in the day to leave Pep Guardiola's side eight points clear at the top of the table.

Antonio Conte did not stop and shake hands with Jose Mourinho after the final whistle on Sunday.

And Mourinho said that, even in November, the gap is a concern.

He said: "We are worried but there are 18 teams more worried than us because we are second.

"Eight points, in the Premier League, is not the same as eight points in the Portuguese league, La Liga, the Bundesliga.

"Eight points in the Premier League, there's still a lot to play [for].

"I hope, I feel, I think, I wish that in the busy period of late November, December, beginning of January, I think probably we are going to be at our maximum strength with Pogba, Rojo and Ibra back, with everyone who has been missing for the last few months, so probably we can be in a high."

Alvaro Morata scored the decisive goal in the second half at Stamford Bridge to condemn United to a second league defeat of the season.

Mourinho's United have now scored just one goal away from home against the top six in seven attempts. They had chances through Marcus Rashford, Romelu Lukaku and Marouane Fellaini, and Mourinho insisted afterwards a draw would have been a fair result.

He said: "The team that scored first probably would win, because both teams are very good defensively.

"Being in front will always be an advantage. But they scored before us, and then they were in a more comfortable position.

"But I think we lost emotionally a few minutes after the goal. For a few minutes we were in trouble to be confident again and to try and play again.

"But then we had a good reaction, a good control.

"They had space to counter-attack, but we had initiative, courage, dynamism and the chances to equalise, which would have been a fair result.

"But this is not about what I think it is. Or whether it's fair or not. One goal, three points, congratulations."

Rob is ESPN FC's Manchester United correspondent. Follow him on Twitter @RobDawsonESPN.

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Source: espn.co.uk

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