Oh my.
Arsene Wenger, Arsenal, and Jose Mourinho, Chelsea, are two of the best managers in world soccer. Wenger, in addition, is the perfect gentleman while Mourinho is and has been an asshole everywhere he has been. The two clubs are fierce London rivals and the personal relationship has been testy, Mourinho idiotically calling Wenger a "voyeur" in 2005 and a "specialist in failure" last year. Mourinho has beaten Wenger 11 straight times.
Today Arsenal played at Chelsea. In the 20th minute Wenger walked purposively toward Mourinho and pushed him forcefully in the chest. Dos. Two separate occasions. https://vine.co/v/OKhFVvJ1UYW Don't know what set Wenger off, didn't know anything could set Wenger off but off he went. Amazingly, Mourinho did not fight back. Extremely embarrassing for Arsene Wenger. Mortifying. I am sure Wenger will accept complete responsibility and apologize to the press, English football, and, agonizingly, to Mourinho personally. Chelsea won 2-0.
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We think we know people who are constantly in the public eye.
The Football Association should suspend Wenger for one match. This is "bringing the game into disrepute," I don't know if the FA has that standard for discipline, surely it must have something like it, but "Dearie me," as Sir Alex Ferguson would say. The incident is all over the news now, worldwide, it is horribly embarrassing for the Premier League to have one world-famous, world-class manager shove another on worldwide television.
It was also explosively dangerous. These are the MANAGERS for godssake! What if Jose Mourinho had pushed Wenger back? What if the two men's players had come over to back up their bosses? This easily could have turned into a full, bloody brawl. What if the clubs' fans had played follow-the-leader?
I cannot believe Jose Mourinho did not push Wenger back. I didn't know Mourinho had that restraint in him. There is a photo taken immediately afterward, the referee is talking to Wenger, who is still livid, gesturing (not toward Mourinho) and Mourinho is standing off to the side composedly. It looks like real composure too, not "I got him!" faux composure. I cannot believe the contrast in the two men.
This seeming personality transference continued in post-match interviews. Wenger did not apologize, very disappointing, and Mourinho didn't gloat or goad. Didn't know Mourinho had it in him.
Updated 8:46 UTC.
Arsene Wenger, Arsenal, and Jose Mourinho, Chelsea, are two of the best managers in world soccer. Wenger, in addition, is the perfect gentleman while Mourinho is and has been an asshole everywhere he has been. The two clubs are fierce London rivals and the personal relationship has been testy, Mourinho idiotically calling Wenger a "voyeur" in 2005 and a "specialist in failure" last year. Mourinho has beaten Wenger 11 straight times.
Today Arsenal played at Chelsea. In the 20th minute Wenger walked purposively toward Mourinho and pushed him forcefully in the chest. Dos. Two separate occasions. https://vine.co/v/OKhFVvJ1UYW Don't know what set Wenger off, didn't know anything could set Wenger off but off he went. Amazingly, Mourinho did not fight back. Extremely embarrassing for Arsene Wenger. Mortifying. I am sure Wenger will accept complete responsibility and apologize to the press, English football, and, agonizingly, to Mourinho personally. Chelsea won 2-0.
------------------------------------------
We think we know people who are constantly in the public eye.
The Football Association should suspend Wenger for one match. This is "bringing the game into disrepute," I don't know if the FA has that standard for discipline, surely it must have something like it, but "Dearie me," as Sir Alex Ferguson would say. The incident is all over the news now, worldwide, it is horribly embarrassing for the Premier League to have one world-famous, world-class manager shove another on worldwide television.
It was also explosively dangerous. These are the MANAGERS for godssake! What if Jose Mourinho had pushed Wenger back? What if the two men's players had come over to back up their bosses? This easily could have turned into a full, bloody brawl. What if the clubs' fans had played follow-the-leader?
I cannot believe Jose Mourinho did not push Wenger back. I didn't know Mourinho had that restraint in him. There is a photo taken immediately afterward, the referee is talking to Wenger, who is still livid, gesturing (not toward Mourinho) and Mourinho is standing off to the side composedly. It looks like real composure too, not "I got him!" faux composure. I cannot believe the contrast in the two men.
This seeming personality transference continued in post-match interviews. Wenger did not apologize, very disappointing, and Mourinho didn't gloat or goad. Didn't know Mourinho had it in him.
Updated 8:46 UTC.
