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James OlleySenior Writer, ESPN FC
Tottenham boss Jose Mourinho has aimed a dig at Arsene Wenger by claiming the former Arsenal manager did not mention him in his autobiography “because he never beat me.”
Wenger released his book “My Life in Red & White” this week but failed to mention Mourinho, who he faced 19 times while in charge of the Gunners during an often tempestuous rivalry.
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The pair regularly sparred with each other in news conferences and even engaged in a physical confrontation when Wenger entered Mourinho’s technical area to shove him during Chelsea‘s 2-0 win over Arsenal at Stamford Bridge in October 2014.
Speaking at a news conference ahead of Tottenham’s Premier League clash with West Ham, Mourinho was asked why he was not mentioned in the book, and replied: “Because he never beat me.
“You are not going to do a chapter about 12 or 14 matches and never win one so why should he speak about me in his book? A book is a thing to make you happy, to make you proud so I understand perfectly the situation.”
In total, Wenger only ever beat a Mourinho team twice — in the 2015 Community Shield as Arsenal defeated Mourinho’s Chelsea at Wembley and again almost two years later as when Mourinho’s Manchester United side lost 2-0 at Emirates Stadium. Mourinho won nine of their meetings since their first encounter in 2004.
Mourinho also said Gareth Bale could be set for his second Tottenham debut in Sunday’s match with West Ham.