Mourinho and Benitez's wife in war of words over coaching and weight

Jose Mourinho and Rafa Benitez’s rivalry has stepped up a notch after the Spaniard’s wife, Montse, weighed in with a cheeky jibe of her own aimed at the self-proclaimed “special one” - who shot back with a dig at Benitez's weight.

Benitez’s wife stoked the fires when she said in an interview with Spanish publication, La Region, this week that her husband, Rafa, who was named Real Madrid trainer in June, has joined the ten times European champions to tidy up another mess of Jose Mourinho's making.

"We tidy up his (Mourinho's) messes. If you think about it, of course you end up crossing paths. There are only a few world-class clubs out there,” said Benitez’s wife, alluding to the fact that three times in Benitez's career, at Inter Milan, Chelsea and now Real Madrid, her husband took jobs that Mourinho previously held.

A file photo of Montse Benitez, wife of Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez, applauds before the start of play against Stoke City during a Premier League match at Anfield in Liverpool, north-west England on August 19, 2009.

Mourinho shot back at Benitez and his wife after Chelsea faced Barcelona in the International Champions Cup in the US on Wednesday.

“If she takes care of her husband's (Rafa Benitez) diet she will have less time to speak about me,” Mourinho told the Mirror.