The former Spain coach believes the Real Madrid boss sometimes starts feuds against opponents with little motivation

Javier Clemente has claimed Jose Mourinho is frequently disrespectful to his opponents when it is not necessary.

The Real Madrid coach’s verbal jousting has become something of trademark, with his dispute with Vicente del Bosque over claims the Coach of the Year award was fixed the latest in a long line of confrontations.

However, Clemente, who coached Spain from 1992 to 1998, has said that Mourinho is deliberately inflammatory even when the situation does not call for it.

“People are still too hard on Mourinho, but sometimes it is with good reason because he doesn’t need to say certain things, even if it is all part of his strategy,” Clemente told reporters.

“I’m not a friend of Mourinho, but this does not mean that all the things he does disturbs me. He makes more mistakes than me, and says things that sometimes are not respectful while nobody disturbs him.

“He is not elegant but rather a guy who doesn’t show generosity, and says that he was not a winner due to people deceiving him.”

Mourinho is facing an uncertain future at Santigao Bernabeu, having been linked with returns to both Chelsea and Inter should he opt to leave Madrid in the summer.