Football might be about tactics and trophies—but let’s be honest, the real entertainment often comes from managers going head-to-head in front of the press. With tempers flaring and egos clashing, sometimes the post-match interviews are just as fierce as anything on the pitch.
Let’s count down ten of the most savage, hilarious, and downright iconic managerial put-downs in football history.
1. Alan Pardew vs Manuel Pellegrini
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We’re kicking off strong. Alan Pardew – never one to hold his tongue – delivered one of the most aggressive sideline insults in Premier League history. During a heated clash between Newcastle and Manchester City in 2014, Pardew let his temper get the better of him and launched a foul-mouthed tirade at Manuel Pellegrini, calling him a “f*cking old c*nt.”
The moment, caught on camera, earned Pardew a £60,000 fine and a formal warning. While he later apologised, the insult remains one of the most shocking managerial exchanges. It wasn’t clever or witty – just raw, unchecked rage – and it instantly etched itself into Premier League folklore.
2. Arsène Wenger vs Sir Alex Ferguson
Ah, the golden rivalry of English football. Arsenal vs United in the late ‘90s and early 2000s was war, and Wenger vs Ferguson was the cold, calculated brain behind it all. While there was a level of professional respect, Wenger often refused to play along with Fergie’s mind games.
When asked about his thoughts on the United boss, he once replied:
“He doesn’t interest me and doesn’t matter to me at all.”
It was a masterclass in passive aggression. Delivered with his trademark French shrug, Wenger’s comment was a perfect example of how to throw shade while pretending not to care.
3. Tony Pulis vs Arsène Wenger
Tony Pulis never quite hid his disdain for Wenger’s continental style of football. The gritty, pragmatic boss of Stoke made it clear that Wenger wasn’t his cup of English breakfast tea.
He once quipped:
“I’ve got nothing against foreign managers. Apart from Arsène Wenger.”
Oof. It’s subtle in delivery but stings with intent. Wenger vs Pulis games were always fire and friction—this line summed up their footballing culture clash perfectly.
4. José Mourinho vs Antonio Conte
Grab your popcorn – this was less a feud and more a full-blown drama series. After Conte celebrated wildly during Chelsea’s 4-0 drubbing of Manchester United, Mourinho accused him of humiliating his former club. That was just the beginning.
Mourinho mocked Conte for constantly complaining about injuries and accused him of behaving like “a clown” on the touchline. Conte, never one to back down, retaliated by suggesting Mourinho had “senile dementia” – which Chelsea PR swiftly clarified was meant to mean amnesia.
The gloves were officially off. The war of words escalated until Mourinho fired a sharp dig referencing Conte’s past suspension: “I will never be suspended for match-fixing.”
Conte’s final retort was a mic-drop moment: “I consider him a little man. With a very low profile.”
10/10 drama. Would binge again.
5. José Mourinho vs Arsène Wenger
When it comes to Mourinho, the insults come with flair. His feud with Wenger simmered for years – and he once accused the Arsenal boss of being obsessed with him:
“I think he is one of these people who is a voyeur. He likes to watch other people. There are some guys who, when they are at home, have a big telescope to see what happens in other families. He speaks, speaks, speaks about Chelsea.”
Wenger was quick to return fire with one of the most poetic burns in football history:
“He’s out of order, disconnected with reality and disrespectful. When you give success to stupid people, it makes them more stupid sometimes and not more intelligent.”
Brutal. Philosophical. French.
6. José Mourinho vs Pep Guardiola
During their time in Spain, the Mourinho-Pep rivalry reached boiling point. While Pep focused on beautiful football, Mourinho opted for provocation and mind games.
After Guardiola’s Barcelona won a Champions League semi-final marred by controversial decisions against Chelsea, Mourinho couldn’t resist:
“Guardiola is a fantastic coach, but I have won two Champions Leagues. He has won [only] one Champions League and that is one that would embarrass me. I would be ashamed to have won it with the scandal of Stamford Bridge and if he wins it this year it will be with the scandal of the Bernabeu.
“I hope one day Guardiola has the chance of winning a proper Champions League, a brilliant, clean championship with no scandal.”
Subtle as a sledgehammer.
7. Pep Guardiola vs José Mourinho
Usually composed, Pep rarely rises to bait – but Mourinho eventually pushed the right buttons. After Jose referred to him as “Mr. Pep” and accused him of bending the rules, Pep let loose:
“As Mr Jose took the option to refer to me, somebody he once worked alongside and had a friendship with as Mr Pep before accusing me of things that are ultimately rubbish, I’ll too refer to him by his first name.
“Which one is Mr Jose’s camera? In this room, I cannot and will not compete with him. He has created his own competition in the press-room and he wins everything here. He is the f**king boss in here, nobody comes close to his level so he can have his own Champions League trophy for winning press conferences.
“However, tomorrow evening at 8:45 my team will go out to the pitch and compete against his players. Football is the only competition that I care for.”
Classy. Calm. Cutting.
8. José Mourinho vs Claudio Ranieri
This one aged like milk. Back in his Inter Milan days, Mourinho tore into Ranieri with this brutal dismissal:
“Ranieri is nearly 70. He’s won a Super Cup and a small trophy. He’s too old to change his mentality… After five years in England, he still struggled to say ‘good morning’ and ‘good afternoon.’”
Yikes. Fast-forward a few years and Ranieri leads 5000-1 outsiders Leicester to a Premier League title. The sweetest revenge? Doing it with class—and a smile.
9. Sam Allardyce vs Marco Silva
When Everton hired Allardyce after failing to poach Silva from Watford, Big Sam wasn’t about to let Silva steal any spotlight.
“His track record has got no comparison with mine,” Allardyce boasted. “He got Hull relegated.”
Silva, always a bit slicker, replied with this beauty:
“It’s like me comparing the five goals Richarlison has scored in the Premier League with Peter Crouch [who has scored 207 goals in his club career]. Crouch is nearly 37, Richarlison is 20 – Crouch has played so many games [669] and Richarlison far less.
“Go and see what he was doing when he was 40 years old, or see what he was doing in his first seven seasons as a coach. Then look at what I am doing at the same age – or you can wait until I am 63 years old, and then we can compare what I have done.”
Now that’s a subtle flex.
10. Kevin Keegan vs Sir Alex Ferguson
This one’s more of a meltdown than a put-down, but it’s iconic nonetheless. In the heat of the 1996 title race, Fergie’s mind games finally cracked Keegan.
Live on air, the Newcastle boss lost it:
“I would love it if we beat them. Love it!”
No insults. No digs. Just pure emotional chaos. Still quoted to this day.