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Wenger slams press

03/11/2005

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has launched a scathing attack on the press and has pinned the blame for his escalating war of words with Chelsea counterpart Jose Mourinho on reporters.

On the day the FA have reportedly stepped in to halt the two managers' spat, Wenger fumed at the media for allegedly misquoting him.

The Frenchman's outburst came after newspapers printed comments from Wenger made in response to earlier criticism by Mourinho.

"When you give success to stupid people, it makes them more stupid sometimes and not more intelligent," Wenger quipped about the Blues boss.

But the Gunners supremo was incensed by journalists interpreting this as Wenger labelling Mourinho as stupid.

"I said the sentence but have I said he is stupid? By implication? No. You have to respect what I say and not what you think I have said," Wenger said.

"I never said he is stupid. You can think what you want but do not make me say what I did not say.

"You do what you want with the sentence but you cannot put that I indicated somebody is stupid."

Wenger insists he has been wronged and he added: "You must listen to what I say and not write what I do not say."

Mourinho initially aggrieved Wenger earlier this week by calling him a "voyeur", a comment that resulted in the Gunners head coach threatening the Portuguese coach with legal action.

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