Mour like a thug

Arch-rivals Mourinho and Wenger almost had a street fight

The rivalry between Jose Mourinho and Arsene Wenger once reached its zenith with the then Chelsea boss wanting to “break (Arsenal manager) Wenger’s face” over the transfer of Juan Mata (from Chelsea to Manchester United in 2014), according to a new book. And the raging Portuguese even offered to have a brawl in the street, for such was his anger. Wenger was “surprised” Chelsea would sell a “great player” to a rival in United, with Mourinho hitting back that the Frenchman was a “specialist in failure”.

LONDON: Jose Mourinho wanted to “break Arsene Wenger’s face” over the transfer of Juan Mata, according to a new book.

And the raging Portuguese even offered to have a brawl in the street, such was his anger.

The Arsenal boss and then-Chelsea manager’s raging feud almost boiled over completely because of the Spain star’s 2014 move.

Wenger was “surprised” Chelsea would sell a “great player” to a rival in Manchester United – with Mourinho hitting back that the Frenchman was a “specialist in failure”.

It was after this exchange that Mourinho is reported as saying in a new book: “I will find him (Wenger) one day outside a football pitch and I will break his face.”

A few days later the Portuguese broke him professionally as Chelsea annihilated Arsenal 6-0 in Wenger’s 1,000th game in charge.

Wenger was “utterly humiliated” at the thrashing and avoided the usual post-match press conference.

After this Mourinho, according to a book serialisation in the Daily Mail, reportedly texted a friend: “Next time I lose a game I don’t go to the press conference because the team bus is waiting for me.”

The fires of fury flamed again when Arsenal next visited Stamford Bridge on Oct 5, 2014.

Mourinho and Wenger shoved each other on the touchline and Mourinho said of Wenger: “He was asking for a red card and pressing the ref in my technical area. I told him to go back to his area. He pushed me.

“I told him, ‘Here you do that, you know I can’t react, but I will meet you one day in the street’.”

Long-term rivals: Arsene Wenger (left) and Jose Mourinho haven’t been able to see eye-to-eye for years.

— Reuters No love lost: Jose Mourinho (right) and Arsene Wenger nearly came to blows on a few occasions.