Antonio Conte said respect ‘outside the pitch’ is not important as he tried to explain his failure to shake Jose Mourinho’s hand.
The Chelsea manager chose not to partake in the post-match tradition, despite the Manchester United manager waiting at the tunnel for him.
Instead Conte pumped his fist in the direction of the fans to celebrate his side’s 1-0 win and then headed onto the pitch.
Mourinho said after the match:’He disappeared. So I shook with his assistants which for me is basically the same.’
When asked about the snub, Conte said: ‘It’s not important. It’s important to win the game.
‘You have to have the respect on the pitch not outside the pitch.’
The incident becomes the latest in a series of fractious exchanges between the pair since Conte arrived at Chelsea. Prior to the game the Italian admitted that they were not friends.
The win for Chelsea moved them back into the top four, four points behind Manchester United in the Premier League table.
