Saturday 4 October 2014 08:50, UK
Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has declined the opportunity to apologise for describing Arsene Wenger as "a specialist in failure".
In February, Mourinho made the comment about Wenger as a response to an initial interview with the Frenchman regarding last season’s Premier League title race.
Wenger, in reference to Mourinho's insistence that his side were outside bets for the championship, had declared that the championship was Chelsea's to lose and said anyone who claimed their team were not in the race did so out of fear of failure.
The following month Chelsea beat the Gunners 6-0 but ended the season without a trophy while Wenger ended Arsenal's nine-year silverware drought by winning the FA Cup.
"It was a consequence of something," Mourinho said of his taunt. "It was not a deliberate first option to say something. I didn't get an apology. I don't apologise."
Mourinho wants to leave the comment in the past.
"You don't need to apologise," added Mourinho, who last season did say sorry for calling Wenger a "voyeur" during his first spell.
"To go over it, to forget it and to move forward without thinking about what happened. We don't need that, finish, move and let's go for another match with big responsibility for both of us.
"We have the responsibility not to win, to give a good football match and for the millions of fans that both clubs have. No problems.
To go over it, to forget it and to move forward without thinking about what happened. We don't need that, finish, move and let's go for another match with big responsibility for both of us.
"I never had the opportunity to play against him, whether it was beach soccer or whatever, it's only ever been Chelsea against Arsenal.
"It's an amazing achievement (for him to be at Arsenal for 18 years) and I congratulate him and the club."
Mourinho will give Cesc Fabregas the opportunity to play against former club Arsenal in a Chelsea shirt for the first time this weekend and while he feels the Gunners supporters should give the midfielder a good reception, he doesn't care either way.
"I don't know really," he said. "The reaction from Arsenal fans, nobody listens. It depends on what the Chelsea fans do, if they make noise nobody will hear the Arsenal fans.
"It depends on the club culture, as you saw with the Chelsea fans with Frank Lampard. It depends, but Fabregas was almost made at Arsenal and I think the feeling should be a good feeling between the fans and him.
"He's been phenomenal for us in every game, no exception. He has responsibilities and I couldn't be happier with the moment we decided to bring him to the club."
Watch Arsenal take on Chelsea at Stamford Bridge live on Sky Sports 1 HD, with coverage under way from 1pm on Sunday.
