Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho labelled Arsenal counterpart Arsene Wenger as a "specialist in failure" as the war of words in the race for the English Premier League title intensified on Friday.
Mourinho, whose side lead London rivals Arsenal by a point at the top of the table, was responding to comments from French manager Wenger earlier on Friday that anyone who said their team was not in the race for the title was betraying a fear of failure.
Mourinho, who returned for a second spell as Chelsea boss at the start of this season, has called the Blues the "little horse" among the title contenders, with Manchester City and Arsenal the favourites to be crowned champions of England.
But he contrasted his record of managerial success -- which includes Champions League titles at Porto and Inter Milan as well as two Premier League titles in his first spell as Chelsea manager -- with that of Wenger, who hasn't seen a major piece of silverware come to Arsenal since the Gunners won the 2005 FA Cup.
"He (Wenger) is a specialist in failure. I'm not," said Mourinho, whose side play Manchester City in the FA Cup fifth round on Saturday.
"If supposedly he is right and I'm afraid to fail, it's because I haven't failed many times.
"Maybe he's right. Maybe I'm not used to failing," the Portuguese added.
"The reality is he is a specialist. Eight years without a piece of silverware, that's failure.
"If I do that at Chelsea, eight years, I leave London and I don't come back."
Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho labelled Arsenal counterpart Arsene Wenger as a “specialist in failure” as the war of words in the race for the English Premier League title intensified on Friday.
Mourinho, whose side lead London rivals Arsenal by a point at the top of the table, was responding to comments from French manager Wenger earlier on Friday that anyone who said their team was not in the race for the title was betraying a fear of failure.
Mourinho, who returned for a second spell as Chelsea boss at the start of this season, has called the Blues the “little horse” among the title contenders, with Manchester City and Arsenal the favourites to be crowned champions of England.
But he contrasted his record of managerial success — which includes Champions League titles at Porto and Inter Milan as well as two Premier League titles in his first spell as Chelsea manager — with that of Wenger, who hasn’t seen a major piece of silverware come to Arsenal since the Gunners won the 2005 FA Cup.
“He (Wenger) is a specialist in failure. I’m not,” said Mourinho, whose side play Manchester City in the FA Cup fifth round on Saturday.
“If supposedly he is right and I’m afraid to fail, it’s because I haven’t failed many times.
“Maybe he’s right. Maybe I’m not used to failing,” the Portuguese added.
“The reality is he is a specialist. Eight years without a piece of silverware, that’s failure.
“If I do that at Chelsea, eight years, I leave London and I don’t come back.”
