Mourinho v Wenger
That was Mourinho’s claim to myself and a small group of journalists lucky enough to share two absorbing hours of his time in a stifling room in Jakarta in the middle of the first pre-season tour of Mourinho’s return to Chelsea in 2013.
“I have had a chance to meet him much, much better when I left England,” Mourinho gushed. “I started meeting him at the Euros, the World Cup. We had dinner.
“When you are not in the same league and when you are not playing against each other, it is easier to know people, it is easier to go deeper.
“I enjoyed speaking with him about football. He is a person with a big culture, very open to give his opinion to things.”
Mourinho concluded: “He’s a nice guy! I respect him a lot and I will show my respect always. I wouldn’t bet for one single problem between us.”
Wenger cannot find peace
Seven months later, Mourinho labelled Wenger a “specialist in failure” and the feud began again in earnest.
Once again, it was Mourinho who was leading it, although over the years Wenger has learned better not always to respond.
Hence, ahead of their latest meeting, it was with a resigned and not particularly hopeful air that Wenger told us at Colney on Thursday, “I am open always in life for everything, you know, for peace.”
In all honesty, though, that will simply never happen.
Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger eventually put the slices of pizza down for long enough to recognise common ground in their respective longevity and hence found the key to some mutual respect.
Mourinho has never lasted more than three years anywhere; Wenger has not maintained the same relentless stream of silverware that motivates the Portuguese. This is a pair with no such common ground. Philosophically, too, their approach to the game is poles apart.
Mourinho cries bias
However, it is Mourinho’s brashness that irks Wenger the most, starting from when in 2005 he labelled him a voyeur while compiling a 120-page personal dossier on his rival.
Most of the subject matter of that infamous document is believed to be targeted at Wenger’s preferential treatment by the FA.
The fact that the Arsenal manager generally seethes with anger while Mourinho explodes has led to a very different rap sheet for their indiscretions which only serves to wind up the Manchester United boss even more.
He believes the authorities as well as the English media are in some sort of thrall to Wenger. He uses that feeling to feed his paranoia and drive him on to further successes.
Meanwhile, Wenger generally prefers to focus on the football. “I think it is important that I focus on my own team, the performance of my team and forget all the rest,” he said on Thursday.
“What is important when you are a competitor is that you give absolutely everything to win the next game.”
In that, Mourinho and Wenger do share enough common ground for a perfunctory and professional handshake before the game.
But there is way too little ever to expect anything more than that.
