London: Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho refused to discuss the breakdown of his friendship with Tottenham Hotspur manger Andre Villas-Boas but could not resist a dig before they meet in the Premier League on Saturday.
The Spurs manager revealed on Thursday that his coaching ambitions had been thwarted by Mourinho at Inter Milan, where he was a member of his fellow Portuguese’s backroom staff, and that they were no longer close friends.
When asked at a news conference what his relationship with Villas-Boas was like, Mourinho ducked the question.
“I don’t describe (it) because I don’t discuss relationships with the media. It’s a personal thing … I don’t care what he says,” he said on Friday. “I’m not here not to comment on what he says or to know what he says. I’m not interested.”
However, he then went on to describe how he had acted “professionally” when coming face to face with one of his former mentors, Louis van Gaal, with the barely hidden suggestion being that former charge Villas-Boas should perhaps take note.
“I played a Champions League final against a club where the manager was somebody very important in my career, somebody that gave me the chance to grow up and taught me so many things,” he said of meeting Van Gaal when Inter beat Bayern Munich in 2010.
“I had to play against him in the Champions League final and I did it in a professional way. And I think that is a way you have to do it,” he said. Mourinho and Villas-Boas will be in opposing dugouts for the first time when their sides meet at White Hart Lane (1145 GMT).
The pair had been close with Villas-Boas working under Mourinho at Porto and Chelsea before the spell together in Serie A signalled the end of their working relationship four years ago.
Asked if he was looking forward to facing Villas-Boas, Mourinho replied: “No, I look forward to playing against Tottenham as always. (They are) always big matches, always good matches.”
Spurs have enjoyed a better start to the season than Chelsea, sitting second behind Arsenal on goal difference with 12 points from five matches with Mourinho’s side fourth on 10.
“They are a big contender,” the Chelsea manager said of his rivals’ title chances. They were the champions of the (transfer) market, they bought a lot of players and all of them international players, players with quality. The squad is very, very good.”
There will be a few interested eyes watching how Mourinho and Villas-Boas greet each other at Saturday’s match.
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