Arsene Wenger has upped the ante
ahead of Sunday's Carling Cup final by undermining Jose Mourinho's
claims to be 'The Special One'.
The Chelsea boss conferred the title on himself after leading Porto
to UEFA Champions League glory in 2004, but his Arsenal rival
Wenger has now insisted that winning the title does not necessarily
guarantee 'great' status.
The two managers have experienced a frosty relationship ever since
Mourinho's arrival at Stamford Bridge, and with just days to go
before the two teams face off at The Millennium Stadium in Cardiff,
another war of words has seemingly erupted.
The Blues boss - who once incurred the threat of legal action after
branding Wenger 'a voyeur' - provoked the latest spat by
questioning Wenger's credentials due to the Frenchman's failure to
win Europe's biggest competition.
However, the Gunners boss has now hit back - without mentioning his
rival by name - by stating that consistent success over a long
period of time is a more relevant marker of greatness.
"Plenty of managers have won the Champions League who will not be
considered great managers," said Wenger.
"What is important is that you look at their careers in 10, 15 or
20 years. What kind of quality have you brought through in your
work and on how consistent a level have you done it?
"If you would like to compare every manager you give each one the
same amount of resources and say: 'you have that for five years'.
After five years you see who has done the most.
"We played a whole season unbeaten in 2004-05 but you did not see
me jumping on the tables every week. Winning the Champions League
will not change my life."
Wenger has previously angered The Blues with his references to the
perceived 'financial doping' brought on by Roman Abramovich's
arrival, and the latest spat should set the scene for a spiky
affair on Sunday as the two capital rivals go head-to-head.
However, the Arsenal boss insists he is not consumed by comparisons
with Mourinho - who he has failed to beat so far in English
football.
"I enjoy what I do," he said. "My obsession is not to be
compared.
"I have an honest commitment everywhere and after that whether
people judge me to be great or small, half great or half small, is
down to them."