FA Cup final: mind games begin for Man United and Chelsea

Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho will be up against his old club and arch managerial rival Antonio Conte when United take on Chelsea in the 2018 FA Cup final on 19 May.

United secured their place at the Wembley showpiece on Saturday with a 2-1 win over Spurs and 24 hours later the Blues overcame a spirited Southampton side 2-0.

With both clubs in need of a trophy, the build-up to the match could reignite the hostility between the United manager and Chelsea boss Conte.

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In January the two men were engaged in a war of words after Mourinho branded Conte a clown and the Italian responded by suggesting the United boss had senile dementia.

That prompted Mourinho to make a barbed comment about match-fixing, a reference to the four-month ban Conte served for failing to report match-fixing at one of his former clubs, Siena.

The Italian was clearly upset and called Mourinho a “little man” and offered to meet the Portuguese in a room, “just me and him”.

Since then the feud has simmered down, but according to The Independent “wily Italian fox” Conte has begun the mind games ahead of the next showdown “by insisting that United would be the favourites at Wembley on 19 May”.

But ESPN says that Conte is at pains to play down the feud, although he has suggested that Mourinho and United will be under more pressure to win the cup.

The United boss seems to agree, says The Times. “Manchester United may have just reached a record-equalling 20th FA Cup final but Jose Mourinho believes his critics are already sharpening their knives in anticipation of his potential failure to win a trophy this season,” says the paper.