What Mikel Arteta said to Porto manager Sergio Conceicao revealed

Mikel Arteta has denied insulting Sergio Conceicao during Arsenal’s win over Porto on Tuesday, but a report has now revealed what he allegedly said.

Conceicao clased with Arteta after the Gunners’ penalty shootout win at the Emirates and told a press conference that ‘he insulted my family’.

Conceicao: “He insulted my family…”
“During the game he turned to the bench in Spanish,” Conceicao said.

“He insulted my family and in the end I told him ‘be careful’, because whoever he insulted is no longer with us. He should worry about training his team more and better because he has a lot of individual quality to do so”

Conceicao has a history of making allegations against opposing managers in the aftermath of Champions League defeats, having previously clashed with Thomas Tuchel and Pep Guardiola against Chelsea and Manchester City in 2021 and 2020 respectively.

Arteta had “no comment, thanks very much” when asked about the allegations after the game, but has told club staff he did not insult his opposite number.

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‘Your mother’s shell’
A source close to Conceicao told the Daily Mail that Arteta used the phrase ‘concha de tu madre’, which translates literally as ‘your mother’s shell’, but in Spanish-speaking countries is widely regarded as an insulting reference to the female vagina.

It was also claimed by the source that Arteta’s insult was clearly heard by the Porto staff and substitutes.

Conceicao’s parents both died when he was a teenager, with his father killed in a motorbike crash the day after he signed his first contract as a player at the age of 16, and his mother passing away following long-term health problems two years later.

Arteta may now need to comment, but focused on the performance of his players after the game, reserving special praise for goalkeeper David Raya, who showed “incredible determination” to get the job done.

“A magic night,” said Arteta. “We expected a really tough opponent. It’s very difficult to generate momentum and that’s credit to them.

“It’s a huge experience for us. We had to do it as well through penalties. Credit to David who had some difficult moments to start but showed incredible determination and stood up and got rewarded.”

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