What We're Reading
Mourinho: Wenger 'Always' Complains
- Guardian, Friday, January 24, 2014 1:17 PM
Chelsea coach Jose Mourinho on Friday confirmed the impending sale of Juan Mata to Manchester United, while taking a shot at Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger for complaining that selling Mata in midseason after Chelsea had already played United twice gives the Blues an unfair advantage because both Manchester City and Arsenal each still have a league game against United remaining.
Mourinho confirmed that Mata would be moving on for 40 million pounds ($66 million), pending a medical, and responded to Wenger’s criticism by saying, "Wenger complaining is normal, because he always does. It's something that we know. When a player plays for a club on Aug. 20 and two weeks later on Sept. 5 plays against the same club with a different shirt, this is normal, because this is the market.” The Portuguese added: "We don't do the market, we don't do the rules, we have just to do according to the rules. ... When he says this is not fair, I think what is not fair is that his team always has the best days to play.”
The former Real Madrid and Inter Milan coach noted that the Mata transfer was completely separate to any potential deal for Wayne Rooney to move to Stamford Bridge in the summer: "If we said to United: 'You didn't sell us Wayne Rooney in the summer so we won't sell you Juan Mata,' that is not right."
Separately, Mourinho also confirmed that midfielder Michael Essien would be free to leave for AC Milan in Italy. According to the Rossoneri’s Web site, the Ghanaian international landed in Milan on Friday to complete a medical.
