Wenger Responds To Jose Mourinho’s ‘Face Break’ Threat

The Arsenal boss who was speaking on Friday ahead of his side’s clash with London rivals, Chelsea on Saturday, was reacting to a quote taken from a new book about the Manchester United manager, “Jose Mourinho Up Close And Personal”.

The book was written by Rob Beasley, a journalist who has built a close relationship with the Portuguese during his time at Chelsea and Real Madrid.

Beasley had a regular audience with the Special One and they exchanged many emails and text messages

According to the book, Beasley said Mourinho once told him, when discussing about Wenger: “I will find him one day outside a football pitch and I will break his face.”

This is not the first time, the former Chelsea boss has launched verbal attacks on his managerial rival, he was called him a “voyeur” and “specialist in failure, also reportedly took offence to Wenger’s plan to sign Petr Cech two seasons ago and blamed the Frenchman for unsettling his goalkeeper, despite the shot-stopper expressing his desire to leave when he found out Thibaut Courtois would be the Blues’ No.1 that season.

However, Wenger who will be celebrating his 20th anniversary with the Gunners on Saturday, has refused to comment on the latest revelation, stating that he wants to fully concentrate on the Chelsea game.

“Look, I haven’t read the book and I certainly won’t read it,” the Arsenal boss told a news conference Friday.

“I cannot comment on that. I talk about football and that’s all I do. I’m not in a destructive mode, ever. I’m more constructive and I cannot comment on that because I’m focused on tomorrow’s game and how we want to play football.

“What is amazing is that has nothing to do with our game tomorrow. I personally am just focused on doing my job well and respecting everybody else.

“I do not want to especially comment because we play Chelsea tomorrow. I have no personal problem with anybody, I respect everybody in our game and I don’t feel I comment a lot on other teams.

Sometimes I just say what I think, but that is part of the way I am.”

The Frenchman further dismissed any form of personal rivalry between Arsenal and Chelsea, suggesting that the game was more than the touchy relationship he had with Mourinho.

“Honestly, for me it was always just a big game and an important game, and the personal rivalry that you suggest existed stronger before was never, in my head, a concern,” Wenger said.

The 66-year-old refused to rule out having an autobiography on his view of Mourinho.

“I don’t know, I will maybe make a book one day, but I am not ready for that yet,” he added.

Their feud between the both managers is one that has festered into one of the longest-running feuds in football

Arsenal play Chelsea in the English Premier League at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday evening.