Phil Neville on post-game exchange with Caleb Porter: "I think he broke the code of conduct"
The Inter Miami head coach talked about what he animatedly discussed with the Columbus Crew manager following Saturday's 1-0 win
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — If Phil Neville and Caleb Porter are friendly, you would not have guessed it based on their post-game exchange on Saturday.
Inter Miami kept on rolling by defeating the Columbus Crew, 1-0, at home at Drv Pnk Stadium on Saturday night, and the match was immediately followed by an animated conversation between Neville and Caleb Porter. The two head coaches traded words after the match went final, and Neville shed light during his post-game conference as to what they were discussing.
“It is a difficult one because there is a code of conduct between managers, but I thought he broke the code of conduct between managers,” said Neville, whose Inter Miami leapfrogged the sliding Crew to move into ninth place in the Eastern Conference with the win. “He accused every referee in the league of having a Phil Neville shirt on, and I am like, ‘Go and watch the first 10 games of the season.’”
While Neville was not pleased with Porter’s comments on the field, the Inter Miami manager expressed admiration for his Crew counterpart. Neville also stated that he himself might not have reacted in the best way.
“I have got a lot of respect for him,” said Neville. “He is a serial winner, he has won in this league, his team is fantastic. Before the game we both had a really good conversation. You get emotional as a manager.
“I have got to say sometimes us managers act like absolute clowns at times and maybe we both did tonight at the end of the game, but ultimately I have got a lot of respect for the man and I wish him all the best. I wish him all the best. These things happen in football.”
Inter Miami will play the 10th-placed Crew again this season, with the two squaring off at Lower.com Field in Columbus, Ohio, on Oct. 16.