Arsene Wenger has given his reasons for completely pass over any mention of his former Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho from his new book ‘My Life in Red and White’.
The Frenchman’s autobiography looks back over his 22 years in charge of Arsenal between 1996-2018, with Wenger giving his views on football and the Arsenal culture.
Arsene Wenger in great form tonight. His book and his life genuinely fascinating. pic.twitter.com/TVoFwGssjh
— Geoff Shreeves (@GeoffShreeves) October 12, 2020
However, many fans wanted to hear from Arsene Wenger on Mourinho but his name does not appear once, even though the two managers developed something of a tense relationship during his time from Chelsea.
In another side, Wenger goes into details with regard to his rivalry with Sir Alex Ferguson and mentioned him as best rivals in comparisons with other managers.
When asked about the lack of Mourinho, however, Wenger simply answered:
“I didn’t want to make a book that sorts out some differences. I wanted it to be a positive book. I had more acrimonious battles with Sir Alex than Jose Mourinho.”
A verbal spat between Wenger and Mourinho came to a head in 2014 when they physically clashed on the touchline following a disagreement.
Later in the press conference, Mourinho called Wenger a “voyeur” and a “specialist in failure”.
Yet it was the games between Arsenal and Ferguson’s Manchester United in the late 90s and early 00s which Wenger chooses to reflect on in his book.
“The competition makes you hate the opponent,” he writes.
“I think he (Ferguson) certainly hated me and I hated him sometimes as well.
“Whenever we competed it was always a fight — always very tight and nervous. And don’t forget we also had to deal with Fergie time.
“But when the competition is over what remains is a deep respect for guys like him, for what they have achieved and how long they stayed in the job and dedicated their lives to it.”
