Football

Jose Mourinho and Arsene Wenger to renew war of words as Champions League pundits


The former Chelsea and Arsenal managers will both be pundits for beIN Sports’ coverage of Saturday’s all-English final between Liverpool and Tottenham.

And given the pair’s explosive history, their latest meeting will no doubt provide fireworks.

The pair’s bitter feud began in 2004 when Arsene Wenger called Jose Mourinho the ‘chequebook manager’ following a multi-million-pound spending spree with Chelsea.

The Portuguese launched his own stinging attack on Wenger in October 2005, labelling the Frenchman a ‘voyeur’.

Verbal jabs continued to be exchanged in the ensuing years, with Mourinho branding Wenger a ‘specialist in failure’ in 2014.

And who can forget the moment Wenger pushed ‘The Special One’ in Arsenal’s 2-0 defeat to Blues in October 2015.

The pair’s rivalry has calmed down in recent years, but their meeting on Saturday night will no doubt provide some must-match TV.

Mourinho has appeared to have softened his stance on Wenger since his old rival left Arsenal and recently hailed him at the Laureus World Sports Awards.

“I can only speak by myself. I really enjoyed the competition. But the real respect is always there,” Mourinho said of Wenger. “He made lots of history in that football club.

“One of the best football managers in the history of football.”

Wenger was stunned by Mourinho’s comments, saying: “It was a surprise, yes, because we had some good fights. Time appeases it always.

“The surprise that I got the award was even bigger. Usually, lifetime achievement is for Pele or Maradona or Beckenbauer, and tonight it’s a little player from a village. I represent coaches, and it’s good as well that coaches are rewarded in our game.”

Mourinho, 56, has been out of work since being sacked by Manchester United last December.

The former Red Devils chief is keen to get back into management as soon as possible and hopes to be back in a job by the start of the 2019-2020 season.

“I have a lot of qualities and one of them is to respect other clubs and their management,” he told RMC. “I have never spoken like ‘this club wanted me, they contacted me.’

“When I left Manchester United in December, I immediately took the decision I want to work from summer. I hope to be back to work in July in a project I really like.”



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