Jose Mourinho, Tottenham Hotspur Manager, has debunked speculations that Arsenal had contacted him before the latter club’s sacking of manager Unai Emery.
Speculations had been rife in the British media that Mourinho had met with Raul Sanllehi, Arsenal’s head of football earlier this month as Emery’s position began to come under threat.
Read Also: Arsenal Sack Unai Emery As Manager
But Mourinho insisted that no meeting of such happened and no contact was made by the North London rivals before he took up the Spurs job nine days before Emery was sacked.
“When it was written that I was in a meeting with Mr Sanllehi, it was not true,” Mourinho said at a press conference on Friday.
The Portuguese said he is ready to face whoever will manage Arsenal in the North London Derby at his rival’s home in April 2020.
“I look forward to playing against Arsenal. I want to play against Arsenal. I know what it means for our fans,” Mourinho said.
“But with Mauricio or Emery or Freddie Ljungberg or whoever else, that’s no problem.
“I know the big ones and I know that’s a big one. Not just because Arsenal is a big club that fights for the same objectives as we do. But also I know the meaning. And I like it.”
Read Also: Mourinho Set To Replace Emery After Dining With Arsenal Chief
Mourinho, a former Chelsea and Manchester United manager, signed a contract with Spurs until the end of the 2022-23 season.
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