Jose Mourinho Aims Fresh Digs At Arsene Wenger & Jurgen Klopp

Jose Mourinho has aimed fresh digs at Arsene Wenger and Jurgen Klopp following Manchester United’s 2-1 defeat to Hull City last night, the Evening Standard.

United went in to the second leg of their EFL Cup semi final holding a two-goal advantage but Hull halved the deficit when referee Jon Moss adjudged that Chris Smalling had fouled Maguire in the box.

Tom Huddlestone converted to make it 1-0 on the night before Paul Pogba restored United two-goal cushion midway through the second half. Oumar Niasse ensured it was a nervy end to the game after giving Hull a 2-1 lead but United held on to secure a 3-2 aggregate win and book their place in next months final.

Mourinho was understandably pleased to make it through to another final at Wembley but the United boss couldn’t help himself as he aimed a thinly-veiled dig as old foe Arsene Wenger in his post-match interview.

The Arsenal boss is expected to be hit by a touchline ban after being charged by the FA for his behaviour during the north Londoners win over Burnley last week that saw the Frenchman sent off by referee Jon Moss before having an altercation with the fourth official in the tunnel.

Mourinho is quoted as saying by the Evening Standard:

“I just want to say congratulations to my players because it was a difficult to [get] in the final, and we are in the final,”

“I don’t want to say anything else because it’s enough. I’m calm, I behaved on the bench, not sent off, no punishment, so no more words.”

It’s not the first time Mourinho has taken a dig at Wenger and it certainly won’t be the last as the two managers have a long-running feud and I don’t think it’s any coincidence that the United boss’s latest comments come as the FA are deciding how to punish the Arsenal supremo.

It wasn’t just Wenger who was on the end of a dig from Mourinho last night as the Portuguese coach also took a swipe at Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp.

The Merseysiders crashed out of the EFL Cup after losing 2-0 on aggregate to Southampton on Wednesday night and Klopp suggested after the game at Anfield that the ‘strange wind’ played a role in their defeat.

Clearly referencing Klopp’s comments, Mourinho said last night:

“It doesn’t matter against who or where, we are never favourites.” Mourinho is quoted as saying by the Evening Standard

“Normally the stadium [Wembley] is windy and it’s difficult.”

As a neutral, I must admit it’s a real pity that Liverpool crashed out as it would have been far more exciting to have seen a United v Liverpool final with Mourinho coming up against Klopp on the sidelines in a domestic final.

Oh well, I’m sure Wenger and Klopp will be cheering on Southampton and Clause Puel next month….