Tottenham manager Andre Villas-Boas has no regrets about the breakdown of his friendship with former mentor and Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho.
Villas-Boas, 35, worked under Mourinho for seven years at Porto, Chelsea and Inter Milan and faces him for the first time when the Blues visit White Hart Lane on Saturday.
“I don’t lose any sleep,” he said.
“We had a great personal and professional relationship before. We don’t have that now.”
Mourinho refused to be drawn on his relationship with Villas-Boas when pressed for a response by journalists on Friday.
Reacting to numerous requests to comment; he answered: “I’ve got nothing to say.”
Villas-Boas opted to split from Mourinho – having worked as a scout for him – after his Portuguese compatriot rejected his plea to move to a more a senior role.
He went on to enjoy success as manager of Porto, including winning the league title and Europa League in 2011, before following in Mourinho’s footsteps to manage Chelsea between 2011 to 2012 and now Tottenham.
“Our break-up point was because I was full of ambition to give him something extra and I wanted further involvement from the job I was doing at that time,” said Villas-Boas.
“I felt I could give him much more. But he didn’t feel the need for somebody near to him or in another position as an assistant, and because of that it was decided that it was time, after Inter Milan, to continue our careers apart.”
When asked if it would be fair to say that Villas-Boas no longer considers himself friends with Mourinho, he replied: “Yes, I think so. I don’t think we need explanations. But our relationship has broken down.
“I think we have the mutual respect for each other and we understand what we have been through cannot just disappear, but it’s not like it was before.”
Villas-Boas will also come up against several of the players he was in charge of at Chelsea on Saturday, including Spain midfielder Juan Mata, 25, who has been used sparingly by Mourinho this season.
The Spurs manager made an enquiry for Mata this summer but admits it is unlikely he will renew his interest when the transfer window reopens.
“When top players become available, when their situation changes at a club, and particularly for a player like Juan Mata, you enquire about the situation, but nothing went further than a simple enquiry,” added the Spurs boss.
BBC SPORT
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