Arsene Wenger has given his reasons for omitting the mention of the one-time rival Jose Mourinho entirely from his new book “My Life in Red and White”.
The Frenchman’s autobiography looks back on 22 years in charge of Arsenal between 1996 and 2018, with Wenger setting out his views on a variety of topics.
Somewhat surprising, however, is that Mourinho’s name doesn’t appear once, despite the fact that the two managers built a strained relationship during the two spells of the current Tottenham boss at Chelsea.
In contrast, Wenger goes into his rivalry with Sir Alex Ferguson, naming the legendary Scotsman as his fiercest enemy.
(Image: Getty Images Europe)
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When asked about the lack of Mourinho, Wenger replied simply, “I didn’t want to make a book that sort out some differences. I wanted it to be a positive book. I had fiercer battles with Sir Alex than Jose Mourinho.”
Tensions between Wenger and Mourinho came to a head in 2014 when they physically clashed on the contact line following a disagreement.
They also exchanged a number of barbs at press conferences, with Mourinho calling Wenger a “voyeur” and a “specialist in failure”.
However, it was the games between Arsenal and Ferguson’s Manchester United in the late 90s and early 00s that Wenger wants to reflect on in his book.
(Image: Man Utd via Getty)
“The competition makes you hate your opponent,” he writes. “I think he (Ferguson) definitely hated me and I hated him sometimes.
“Whenever we competed, it was always a fight – always very tight and nervous. And don’t forget that we also had to deal with the Fergie period.
“But when the competition is over, there remains a deep respect for people like him, for what they have achieved and how long they have stayed in the job and dedicated their lives to it.”
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