Jose Mourinho has given his much-awaited statement after a newly launched book claimed that he wanted to break Arsene Wenger’s face. Over the years, both the managers have been involved in several verbal wars and it reached a new level when both were involved in a physical tussle at the sidelines.
The new book titled ‘Jose Mourinho: Up Close and Personal’, which is written by journalist Rob Beasley and is being serialised by Sportsmail, claimed that the Portuguese tactician was angry after Wenger expressed his surprise over Juan Mata’s transfer to Manchester United from Chelsea and said: “When Mr Wenger criticises CFC and Man Utd over the deal with Mata… I will find him one day outside a football pitch and I will break his face.”
But now the Special one has laughed off the claims and said that he is on good terms with the Arsenal manager.
Mourinho said: “I don’t think that this book will be in the gallery of the Shakespeares.
“I met Arsene Wenger a couple of weeks ago and, like civilised people, we shook hands. We sat at the same table, we had dinner together with other people, we exchanged ideas, we were speaking because we are civilised people.”
When the Manchester United manager was asked whether he was disappointed by the revelations from the author who claimed that he was close to the him, he said: “You can see how close he was.
“I prefer not to comment. It is my last word about it and again I repeat: He is making his money. That’s fine by me.”
The French tactician also refused to take the claim seriously and said that the much-hyped rivalry never concerned him.
“I haven’t read the book and I certainly won’t read it. I have no personal problem with anybody and I respect everyone in our game. “The personal rivalry that people suggested existed was never a concern in my head.