Inter head coach Antonio Conte welcomed the news of Jose Mourinho s Roma appointment and deflected questions about his own future.
Former Chelsea boss Conte clashed publicly with Mourinho during the pair s time in England, when the latter led Premier League rivals Manchester United.
At one stage Mourinho referred to Conte as a clown , while the latter called the Portuguese a little man .
However, Conte insisted he fully respected ex-Inter coach Mourinho, who will replace Paulo Fonseca at Serie A rivals Roma from next season.
It s great news for everybody, I wish him the best, except when he plays against Inter, Conte told Le Iene.
For sure, there is great respect between us.
Conte s own future has been the subject of speculation, despite leading Inter to their first Scudetto since Mourinho s treble-winning campaign in 2009-10.
The former Italy and Juventus coach s contract expires in 2022 but his position is uncertain amid doubts over Inter s financial situation caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
Let s enjoy this moment, there will be time to talk together, with the president [Steven Zhang] and the directors, to choose the best path for Inter, he said.
Retweet if your coach is Antonio Conte!
— Inter (@Inter_en)
Conte earned his fourth Serie A title this season – only five other coaches in league history have managed at least four.
The 51-year-old is only the second coach in Serie A history to win a Scudetto with both Inter and Juve, joining Giovanni Trapattoni.