Jose Mourinho has turned down a chance to make peace with long-time rival Roberto Mancini, publicly rejecting the Italian’s offer of a postmatch meal.
Mourinho’s Chelsea host Mancini’s Galatasaray in the Champions League last-16 second leg at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday.
The pair have exchanged criticism on repeated occasions since Mourinho succeeded Mancini as Inter Milan manager in 2008, with the latter stating that his work played a large part in the Nerazzurri winning the Champions League in 2010.
In his prematch news conference, Mancini said he would pay for a meal with Mourinho in the event of a Galatasaray winner but when the Portuguese was asked whether he would accept the offer, Mourinho simply shook his head and said “no”.
“Because I have no interest,” he went on to explain. “After the match I don’t do things because I win or lose. After matches, what I have in my mind to do, I do. It doesn’t matter if I win or if I lose.
“It’s the same thing as some coaches or players, they say: ‘If we win tomorrow, it’s a free day.’ With me, if it’s a free day, it’s because I feel it will be whether we win or lose.
“Tomorrow I won’t have a meal with somebody who has the same job as I do, and the only thing we have in common is the fact we’re both football managers.”
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