Jose Mourinho: I would NEVER refuse a handshake with a rival

Jose Mourinho has taken a fresh dig at Arsene Wenger by insisting he has too much respect for football to refuse a handshake with a managerial rival.

The Chelsea boss accused his Arsenal counterpart of snubbing him after the Gunners’ 1-0 win in Sunday’s Community Shield and Mourinho suggested on talkSPORT on Wednesday that the Frenchman showed a lack of respect.

Speaking on the Alan Brazil Sports Breakfast, he said: “My perspective is one thing is the streets and the other thing is a football stadium.

“As a manager in a football stadium, I never refuse a handshake with a rival. By respect of my club and by respect of football I would never refuse a handshake with a football manager in a football stadium.”

Mourinho’s rivalry with Wenger was ignited last year when the pair clashed on the touchline at Stamford Bridge.

But the Portuguese insists he was proud of how he handled himself and has welcomed the Football Association’s move to crack down on abuse aimed at referees from managers and coaches in technical areas by introducing a formal code of conduct.

He added: “I am very happy because last season I had fantastic behaviour on the touchline. I was never sent to the stands, I was never punished for my behaviour.

“I always had good relations with the fourth official I had a new experience in my career, which is always welcome, because I was pushed in the technical area by another manager and it was a good experience for me to keep my emotional control.”