Porto manager Sergio Conceicao accuses Mikel Arteta of insulting his family

Porto manager Sergio Conceicao has alleged that his Arsenal counterpartMikel Arteta insulted his family during the Champions League round-of-16 clash at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday (Mar 12) night.

Speaking after the match where his team crashed out of the continental tournament following penalties,Conceicao made the allegations.

“During the game and towards the bench … I don’t know if this is to do with Spanish managers, because it was the same thing with [Pep] Guardiola, he insulted my family," said Conceicao.

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“In the end, I told him to pay attention because the person he insulted is no longer with us, and I told him to worry about coaching his team, because due to individual quality he has an obligation to do more and better."

The two managers were seen exchanging words after the tense penalty shoot-out which Arteta's team won 4-2 as the tie ended 1-1 on aggregate after the end of two legs.

Quizzed aboutConceicao's statement, Arteta simply replied:“Thanks. No comment.”

Porto squandered their one goal lead from the first tie as Leandro Trossard slotted one to the back of the net in the 40th minute. Apart from the goal, Arsenal did not have many chances in the game as Porto kept a resolute mid-to-low block and ensured that Arteta's men could not play their natural game.

Also Read:Champions League: Arsenal beat Porto in penalty shootout to enter maiden quarterfinals in 14 years

Conceicao's previous allegations

Notably, after Porto's UCL match against Manchester City in 2020,Conceicao made similar remarks, suggesting that Guardiola had insulted his bench.

"I’ve got a lot to learn from Pep Guardiola, in the way he pressures referees, talks to opposition players and the opposition dugout. He’s a fantastic example. I have to learn this. We were angels compared to the other dugout. He spoke about our country using ugly words. Guardiola’s attitude was extremely unpleasant."

Later in the same season, Conceicao also accused the then-Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel of “insulting” him.

"I was insulted by this man who is next door. I told the referee that the fourth referee heard the insults. My English is not perfect, there is no point in talking about it. There was no exchange of words because I was focused on the game, I don’t know why he reacted."

(With inputs from agencies)