Wenger unruffled by Mourinho's 'permanent provocation'
Arsene Wenger has brushed off Jose Mourinho's reaction to being overlooked of the Frenchman's autobiography despite their fiery touchline clashes through the years, saying that coping with the Portuguese made him feel just like he was in kindergarten again.
Wenger's autobiography, "My Life in Red and White", talks about his 22 years at Arsenal but didn't mention his duels with Mourinho, whose Chelsea side dethroned the Frenchman's 'Invincibles' in 2004-05.
Mourinho had said the reason why he had not been mentioned in the book was, "Because he never beat me."
"It generally does not bother me. It's a permanent provocation." Wenger told Canal Plus. "Personally i think like I'm in kindergarten with him. But that's part of his personality."
Mourinho's rivalry with Wenger reached a boiling point in 2014 when they physically clashed on the touchline in a Premier League game at Stamford Bridge.
It took Wenger 14 attempts to finally beat Mourinho, who once called him a "specialist in failure", and he managed only two wins in 19 meetings.
"We beat him twice. We won, and there were also a whole lot of draws," Wenger added.
"It's not 'you' who wins, you merely take part in the victory. It's 'us' who win. The manager is there to obtain the most out of a team."
Wenger, who left Arsenal in 2018, was appointed world soccer governing body FIFA's chief of global football development last year. Mourinho is now responsible for Tottenham Hotspur.
