Jose Mourinho appeared to take a swipe at Arsene Wenger last week when he made reference to ‘the king’ who is ‘privileged’.
Mourinho has long had a rivalry with Arsenal manager Wenger and in the past has called him a ‘specialist in failure’ and suggested that he might be a ‘voyeur’ who likes to ‘watch other people’.
Now the self proclaimed ‘Special One’ has appeared to take a pot shot at Wenger in the wake of the Gunners’ boss criticisms of Diego Costa, though he has avoided calling him by his name. Mourinho said, “He can speak about referees, push people in the technical areas, can cry in the morning and afternoon, nothing happens. Cannot achieve, keep his job, can still be the king, it is privilege”.
Wenger was forthright in his criticism of Chelsea striker Costa, who appeared to goad Gabriel Paulista before the Arsenal defender lashed out at him and received a red card in the North London derby last week. That came after the Brazilian born Spanish international raised his hand and arm to the face of Laurent Koscielny, an offence that earned Costa a suspension from the Football Association last week.
Mourinho said, “In this country only one manager is not under pressure, every other manager is under pressure. Manuel Pellegrini, Brendan Rodgers, Steve McClaren. We cannot lose matches, we cannot be below expectations”.
Mourinho was asked by a journalist who it was that he was referring to and he responded by saying, “You know”.
In the press conference prior to Chelsea’s game against Newcastle at the weekend, a game the Blues drew 2-2-, Mourinho was asked whether he was frustrated that he had not received the reason for Costa’s ban in writing. He said, “You question is clear, you don’t need my answer. It is not normal but nothing more to say. If I answer I am going to be suspended. I don’t comment because in the rulebook it says some managers can speak about the referees before and after the game and others cannot. I am in the ones that are punished if they do. I have to stick with that rule book”.