Jose Mourinho did not seem to call for a ban for Arsene Wenger despite many press outlets screaming at us that he did.

mourinho wenger ban daily star

READ MORE: Touchline or stadium ban – What’s the difference?

So what did the United boss actually say when inevitably asked about Arsene Wenger and how long he should serve on the sidelines? “I never pushed the referee so I don’t have a comparison. So I have no idea.” That’s it. That’s the only quote provided in the article in the Daily Star.

Mourinho was pressed, of course, because that doesn’t make a very good headline. So another angle was attempted – perhaps he would give some great copy if he was reminded Wenger once pushed him without punishment. Mourinho wasn’t playing. “No. I cannot comment,” he said.

The Mirror also claimed that he “channeled [sic] his frustration into a dig at Arsene Wenger on Thursday night after watching his Manchester United side end their 17-game unbeaten run with a 2-1 defeat at Hull,” but in fact he did nothing of the sort. He simply said, “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.”

mourinho wenger mirror

The ‘relationship’ between Wenger and Mourinho is poor, we all know this. The pair will give the press ample headlines that are warranted before one of them leaves the game. There is zero need for this sort of crap stirring from the media other than to generate clicks and ad revenue.

Given the state of the world at the minute, we’re here to call that out, even if it is ‘only’ football. Every lie the media are allowed to print, every misleading headline they are permitted to generate without criticism, no matter how innocuous the subject matter, fuels colleagues to lie and mislead on bigger and more important issues.

It’s time we let them know we’ve had enough. Even it is ‘only’ football

Sources: Independent Mirror, Daily Star [hard copy], Daily Star