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Fast readings
When Arsène Wenger and José Mourinho were gathered in the beIN Sports studio for the Champions League final, we did not know what to expect.
The two men have had trouble in the past, especially when Mourinho, at Chelsea at the time, then accused the boss of Arsenal, Wenger, of being a "voyeur" before qualifying him for "Failure specialist".
Keeping that in mind, there was a lot to wait – or at least watch – when the two players met before the biggest game of the 2018-1919 season. We included the full video at the end, but we also timestamped some of the juiciest items.
A timely reminder (0:20)
"It's important that we be optimistic, and when you reach a Champions League final, you have no reason not to be optimistic because if you get there, it's that you did something great to be there. " Mourinho started with a smile and a lick.
The Portuguese have of course won two Champions League finals, Wenger's in their respective times at the top. They won both wins while Wenger's Arsenal tied for Frank Rijkaard's Barcelona in 2006.
Was it a blow to his longtime rival? If that were the case, it should be noted that even though they have not been able to beat the last 16 games of the Champions League in the last two seasons, Mourinho was the only one of the two managers to take charge of match of the competition.
Preempt Kane's performance (0:33)
"I think, like José said, that you have to adapt to the psychological problem of the team, but you also do not have to show your pressure and … do not make big mistakes in the preparation, "says Wenger.
"When we talk about [whether] Kane is fit or not, you know that's where you have to badyze. Players have even put physios under pressure – you do not know who you can trust anymore. For a final, everyone is in shape and everyone feels good. So you have to make the right decisions so that the best players are on the field and as simple as possible.
While listening to his colleague, Mourinho seems immersed in his thoughts. Maybe he thinks of the occasions when the managers themselves slap red slaps on players' physical condition before a match. Indeed, a few days earlier, the preparation of the match between Chelsea and Arsenal in the final of the Europa League was dominated by questions about the fitness of N'Golo Kanté.
Of course, Kanté played and contributed to the win, while Kane had a quiet evening in defeat. Did the English striker put undue pressure on the Tottenham medical team?
The fear (1:17)
You can see Mourinho smile and nod, as Wenger says, "you also face the problem of fear, of fear of failure."
Throughout his leadership career, the Portuguese has been able to manipulate his opponents with games of reflection, encouraging them to guess and to collapse under pressure.
We saw this with Monaco's frank performance against Mourinho's Porto in the 2004 final, of course, but there were many opportunities in the league that fit that description. Mourinho's smile and nod could make him think of those moments when Wenger's Arsenal was unable to fight fear.
However, as Wenger goes on to say, he is referring to methods of mentally coaching the arm around the shoulder, which seemed to give up Mourinho (or that seemed to be abandoned). by him) to Manchester United. Is there an element of silent introspection here, perhaps?
Specialists in Failure (2:07)
"I think it's unfair to say one of them failed," said Mourinho, signaling the two teams to warm up on Wanda Metropolitano's pitch.
"It's not fair, but it's the reality of football … but I think we're here to protect the loser because the loser does not deserve to be called a loser this evening."
So, about these old comments of "failure specialist", José? No wonder we can hear laughter in the background.
Box Office ?
Mourinho and Wenger explain what it is to prepare a team for a final UCL.
? Watch live on HD1 (audio option available only in English)
Follow live updates https://t.co/dAUCvJSwXC#beINUCL #UCLFinal pic.twitter.com/58peQ093il
– beIN SPORTS (@beINSPORTS) June 1, 2019
A friendly riff? (2:54)
When discussing the tactical potential of the Spurs, the two managers support each other, but Mourinho's past means that we never know if he considers it a game of Tetris or Jenga.
This is an excellent, fluent conversation that offers real insight and shows us that the two directors have done their research even though they are not required to prepare the teams for the matches against Liverpool and Tottenham in 2019, but he is difficult to look beyond the story between the two. How can we look at such fellowship without the Machiavellian instinct of Mourinho?
After all, if he is wrong with his additions, he can always rely on the fact that he was only supporting Wenger's arguments.
The mask slips (6:48)
"I must confess that many times I've [presented the formation] bad for the foil of UEFA, "admits Mourinho reflecting aloud to the formations in Madrid.
"Sometimes you do not give exactly the real positions of your players, so we do not know," he adds, his head bowed like a schoolboy who has just been caught in a lie.
Of course, "the liars lie" is not exactly the most important or dramatic revelation, but Mourinho's willingness to do admission, to lower the guard, shows how much he is at a few months after the closed settlement of his Manchester United tenure.
"Do they come with this pattern of the UEFA team worksheet?" I have to admit that I often made a mistake on the UEFA sheet, and sometimes you do not exactly give the true positions of your team. players! "
Mourinho being Mourinho ?#beINUCL #UCLFinal pic.twitter.com/yRZIcdl7oq
– beIN SPORTS (@beINSPORTS) June 1, 2019
Money well spent? (10:58)
"I think that a team has to buy players when its players are not good enough," says Mourinho, referring to Tottenham's transfer activity (or his lack of activity).
"When players are good enough, the best you can do is not to sell them or lose them. So, I think the best deal that Tottenham has done in the last few years is to bid for Kane, for Eriksen, for Dele Alli, for Vertonghen, for all, and to sell to no one. "
No mention of Manchester United's target Toby Alderweireld, huh, Jose?
Back to back (15:25)
"I think both defenders are phenomenal in their intention to attack and their aggression when their team has the ball," Mourinho said at the break, after already congratulating Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson before the match.
Wenger seems immersed in his reflections right now, perhaps lamenting that it's been a long time since he does not have that balance and that talent.
Or maybe he was just trying to remember the names of his central backs in recent years. The name you are looking for is Carl Jenkinson, Mr. Wenger.
After-game (16:06)
"At the end of the day, the game was decided in two stages," Wenger said after the final whistle, adding, "Personally, I think it was a very average Liverpool."
"[Tottenham] I was missing a bit of killer instinct … I felt that they believed without really believing 100%.
Mourinho agrees, giving his neighbor the bowing of being called "Mr. Wenger "rather than" Arsene ". Does he hope to be given a "Mr. Mourinho "later? If that is the case, he is not lucky.
Mourinho and Wenger badyze football side by side, saying that world peace is impossible
– AK (@ FindingFellaini) June 1, 2019
A stain of envy? (5:13 p.m.)
Mourinho talks about Liverpool midfielders to make sure they join their supporters in "a block of seven" and congratulates them on being "very pragmatic".
"They were very strong in defense and when Tottenham managed to do something and create something, the player he missed last season [Alisson] was here today. "
After neutralizing a fluent Liverpool in 2014 with a "pragmatic" midfielder and failing to do the same during his last match this season, could there be a touch of jealousy in his remarks?
Pot. Kettle. Black (18:11)
"I think if this match is not the final of the Champions League, if it's a Premier League match, if that's the final of the League Cup, we would say all that the match is not good, "says Mourinho during his post-match badysis.
"Because this is a Champions League final, this emotion is such that every final becomes a special match," he continued, allowing everyone at home to select "special "on their José Mourinho bingo card.
Wenger, meanwhile, does not know where to look. He begins by looking down, before turning to the field and finally sipping his drink while avoiding eye contact with Mourinho.
We can only badume that the Frenchman was thinking of another Champions League final in which a team won with less than 40% of ball possession, with a goal unanswered in each half. Let's not dwell on the choice of Inter's manager for this victory over Bayern Munich in 2010.
The last word (22:13)
"The two managers worked very well. The only difference, I must say, if you look at the story, if you lose a match like Tottenham today, they have less chances to come back in the final than Liverpool, "said Wenger while the segment coming to an end.
"Tottenham has done a miracle to get there, so when you're in their position and you think" we should have won this game ", coming back here is a mountain to climb in. It makes the pain even worse, because you think it's is a unique feat to get there, but to come back … "
It may not have been conceived as a needle, but we are sure that many Arsenal fans will be delighted to see their former director knock out Spurs fans even more.
More from Planet Football
The rivalry between Arsene Wenger and Jose Mourinho: "It is down"
Can you name every final scorer in the Champions League since 2000?
Arsène Wenger: "I'm going back to football, but in what position I do not know"
Trent Alexander-Arnold was a replacement at WC last year and this now seems absurd
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