8 weirdest things said in press conferences – from "f*** off" to ostrich rant

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When it comes to press conferences in the Premier League, nothing is ever straightforward.

The English game has been graced by some of the most impressive – and some of the most explosive – talkers down the years, so it shouldn't come as a too much of a surprise when the fireworks happen away from the pitch rather than on it.

But along with the good, the bad and the downright ugly, there have been some truly head-scratching things said down the years. From journalists being told to "f*** off" and bizarre rants about "facts and ostriches, Daily Star Sport takes a look back at some of the weirdest Premier League press conferences from the past few years…

Nigel Pearson – Ostrich rant

When it comes to bizarre rants in press conferences, Nigel Pearson might never be beaten. The Leicester boss lost his rag with some journalists back in 2015 and – for some reason – labelled one as an "ostrich".

Pearson was unimpressed by the journalist failing to acknowledge the pressure he'd been under and eventually walked out of the press conference earlier after delivering the most unusual of insults in the calmest of manners.

The 58-year-old apologised shortly after and left the club at the end of the season – just one year before they romped to a historic Premier League title win.

Rafa Benitez – Facts

Liverpool and Manchester United have always been bitter rivals, but the ante was pushed up a notch during the days of Rafa Benitez and Sir Alex Ferguson. The duo simply didn't like each other – and that animosity led to one of the most iconic press conferences of all-time.

Armed with a piece of paper, filled with "facts", Benitez proceed to embark on a highly-amusing rant of facts that pointed out how United were treated favourably under Fergie. Fact.

At the time, the Reds were top of the table – but the fact of the matter is their season unraveled soon after. United and Ferguson went on to lift the title, while Benitez was given the boot the following year.

Jurgen Klopp – Erotic voice

If you're going to manage a club like Liverpool, you've got to be able to handle the big occasions.

And if there were any fears over Jurgen Klopp's ability to do that – before he turned the Reds into an all-conquering machine that apparently wins every single match going – he quashed them in style back in 2018 during the club's march to Champions League glory.

Ahead of a crunch clash with PSG, Klopp showed he wasn't feeling the pressure by complimenting the translators "erotic" voice. He quipped: "That's a very erotic voice by the way, translator," leaving the room in hysterics.

Marcelo Bielsa – Spygate

When it comes to iconic press conferences, Marcelo Bielsa and 'Spygate' is bang up there. The Leeds chief had ruffled the feathers of Derby boss Frank Lampard by 'spying' on the Rams in training ahead of an upcoming game.

So how did Bielsa respond to these allegations? By putting together an immense powerpoint, taking full responsibility and giving a play-by-play account walkthrough of all of Derby's strengths and weaknesses.

Unfortunately for Leeds, Derby had the last laugh when they knocked the Whites out of the play-offs shortly after.

Steve McClaren – Dutch accent

After flopping with England, Steve McClaren fled to Holland in a bid to resuscitate his career with FC Twente. However, the 60-year-old couldn't stay out of the headlines after he weirdly seemed to adopt an unusual accent shortly after arriving at Twente.

Unsurprisingly, McLaren was crucified after the interview hit the airwaves, making it impossible for him to fly under the radar in his foray overseas. But it was McLaren who had the last laugh, as he was a pretty big hit in the Eredivisie.

He guided Twente to their first – and only – Dutch title back in 2010 and he was even crowned as the Dutch manager of the year for his exploits.

Joe Kinnear – Dropping the f-bomb

Joe Kinnear's reign at Newcastle back in the 2008/09 campaign was a controversial one – and things came to a head in October 2008. The 75-year-old was miffed with some of the reporting on his leadership at the club, and he let a bunch of local reporters know in no uncertain terms what he thought of it.

In an explosive rant – which was sadly not caught on camera – Kinnear told a bunch of journalists to "f**k off' just days after arriving at a club, with the former Wimbledon coach racking up a total of 53 swear words during the dispute.

When it comes to whacky press conferences, that takes some beating.

Jose Mourinho – Special One

Arguably the press conference that started them all. Jose Mourinho had been appointed as Chelsea's new manager shortly after winning the Champions League with unfancied Porto – and boy did he want us to know about it.

“Please don’t call me arrogant, but I’m European champion and I think I’m a special one,” was the message from the Portuguese chief on day one at Stamford Bridge. It's hard to argue with him either; he guided the Blues to a whole host of accolades across two special spells with the club.

And after achieving success in Italy and Spain once his days in the Premier League were over, it's hard to argue with the brash moniker that's followed him around ever since.

Louis van Gaal – LVG's army

Louis van Gaal enjoyed some fantastic tussles with the press during his time at Old Trafford, but none were more enjoyable than his impromptu impression of the fans. While insisting he had the backing of the fans, he treated journalists to a few rousing – but bewildering – renditions of “Louis van Gaal’s army!"

Despite his brief time in England, Van Gaal's cheeky antics – which also include his iconic 'dive' in the dugout at Old Trafford – endeared him to a number of fans.

• Premier League
• Jose Mourinho
• Liverpool FC
• Chelsea FC
• Newcastle United FC

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