Jose Mourinho and Arsene Wenger likely aren’t on each others Christmas card list – this much has been true since the two were at London rival clubs Chelsea and Arsenal back in the mid-2000s.
With Mourinho’s second stint at Chelsea ending badly, some believe Wenger got the final laugh and all of the trash talk between the two was over. Instead, it took all of one press conference at Mourinho’s new home of Manchester United for him to take a shot at Wenger.
“There are some managers, the last time they won a title was 10 years ago. Some of them, the last time they won the title was never. The last time I won the title was one year ago. It wasn’t 10 years ago, 15 years ago. It was one year ago. If I have a lot to prove, imagine the others. The reality is that it was never important for me. I play against myself, that is my feeling many, many times. I feel like I have to prove not to the others, I have to prove to myself. That is my nature. I would never be able to work without success. That’s my nature.”
At 53, Mourinho’s really had the upper hand on his managerial rival throughout their times managing clubs. After all, he has delivered two UEFA Champions League titles (with Porto and Inter Milan), as well as league trophies in Portugal, England, Italy, and Spain.
Meanwhile, Wenger hasn’t won more than a domestic cup competition since the 2003-04 season. He has continuously failed to reach the top of the EPL and has never sniffed a Champions League title, so perhaps Mourinho has a point after all.
Certainly this is just the beginning of what has long been a war of words between these two polarizing managers. Let’s just see when Mourinho reminds us all that Wenger is really the “specialist in failure” and the Arsenal fans remind Mourinho he couldn’t hack it a second time at Chelsea.
Just think, we’re a bit over a month to the start of the EPL season.
