Antonio Conte collars Mauricio Pochettino for clear-the-air talks over Chelsea boss’ jibes at Spurs’ lack of ambition
Conte said it did not matter if Tottenham did not make big signings because they were not expected to win anything
MAURICIO POCHETTINO has revealed Antonio Conte collared him for clear-the-air talks last week after their summer spat.
Chelsea boss Conte sparked a war of words when he accused Tottenham of lacking ambition.
Spurs chief Poch hit back, by calling for the Italian to show some respect to him and his fellow Prem bosses.
This could have led to a confrontation when their teams go head to head at Wembley tomorrow.
But Pochettino said: “We spoke when he came up to me at the Premier League launch last week.
“He did not apologise, he just tried to explain things to me.
"It is one thing how he relates things to you, it is another how you perceive the message and translate it to the fans.
“Sometimes the difference is important, and he wanted to try to explain what it was that he had wanted to say.
"It was different to how you had explained it to the fans, and I got his message direct.
“I understood it when he explained to me – that is what happened last week.”
Conte told reporters that it did not matter if Tottenham did not make big signings because they were not expected to win anything.
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Pochettino, speaking at his press conference ahead of tomorrow’s clash with Conte’s Blues, said: “I cannot judge because I was not there.
"I believe in the media, but I believed in him too. For me, it is not a big deal.
“What he said did not upset me, it is only that he wanted to be sure that I had got the right message, not the wrong message. For me it is not a big issue.
“Every manager has a right to say in the media what they want. For me, it is not my job to judge what they want to say or how they give their opinion.
“I have massive respect for everyone and sometimes it is difficult to put yourself in their situation.
“You never know the emotion. We are all so emotional - sometimes you are up, sometimes you are down, upset - so I don’t know.
“But I don’t believe he wanted to be disrespectful to Spurs or myself.”
But Pochettino believes it was useful to clear-the-air to defuse any ill-feeling between the pair ahead of Tottenham’s powderkeg opener at their temporary Wembley home.
The Argie told reporters: “We are colleagues and I think showing respect is important.
"In the Premier League we talk about Fair Play and everything, so it is important to show as the manager, we are being responsible every week in front of the media.
“When I talk to you, I am always thinking of my son and the kids that we have here.
“They consume a lot – they focus and listen out to this. So it is important that we respect each other and then fight on the pitch to win and be competitive.
“In press conferences we need to be mature enough to send the right message.”