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Of all the managers of the late 20th and early 21st centuries, Jose Mourinho and Arsene Wenger stand out. Most football fans say that they are two of the best managers of all-time, and it is unarguable that they have shaped the art and craft of football management.
Arsene Wenger tasted success at AC Monaco, Grampus Eight, and perhaps most notably at Arsenal. His Arsenal tenure saw him emerge as the Gunners' most successful manager ever, with three Premier Leagues (including the 2004 Invincibles) and seven FA Cups.
Wenger incidentally has won the FA Cup more times than any other manager in history, and he beat a record that was set nearly 100 years ago by Aston Villa manager George Ramsay.
After a very successful managerial career, Wenger left Arsenal. He has since taken up a job at FIFA, where he oversees the development of football in a senior role.
Jose Mourinho emerged as a Portuguese league and Champions League winner at Porto. He then moved to Chelsea in 2004 to win the Premier League three times in two spells at the club.
He then won Serie A, the Coppa Italia, and the CL with Inter Milan, and LaLiga at Real Madrid, before joining Man United in 2016 to win the League Cup and Europa League. Currently, he is at Tottenham, and time will tell if he can win big there.
Both men also have butted heads along the way, and in some ways are opposites in style and philosophy. Wenger believed in technical attractive football, and winning in style. Mourinho often "parks buses" but is a pragmatist who values structure and team discipline. Many of his teams have played good football when needed, often mixed with solid defensive displays.
Let's not forget Mourinho calling Wenger a "specialist in failure" and a "voyeur", and the two refusing to shake hands after Arsenal's win over Chelsea in the 2015 Community Shield.
Seemingly though, the two have patched things up - with a warm embrace before the Manchester United/Arsenal game at Old Trafford in 2018. Both Mourinho and United managerial legend Sir Alex Ferguson presented Wenger with a commemorative plaque pre-match.
Sir Alex and Wenger were once at loggerheads but have developed a mutual respect, and perhaps Wenger and Mourinho will do so as well. The two also had a memorable punditry session during the 2019 Champions league final, where they both offered sound insight into Liverpool's win over Tottenham.
Were they ever truly enemies? Or was any enmity between them part of the pantomime and show of professional sport? These are both valid questions that we don't have answers to at the moment.
However, in this article, we take a look at another pertinent question: Which of these two iconic managers is better? We compare them in terms of trophies won, style of play, and legacy.
Trophies
Wenger's trophy haul is impressive. He won two of the major European leagues (England and France), and had success in Japan as well.
Overall, Wenger won:
English Premier League - 1998, 2002, 2004
English FA Cup - 1998, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2014, 2015, 2017
Japanese Cup - 1995
Ligue 1 - 1988
French Cup - 1991
Community Shield - 1998, 1999, 2002, 2004, 2014, 2015, 2017
Mourinho has won the Champions League twice, and multiple league trophies as well. He boasts of the following silverware:
Champions League - 2004, 2010
English Premier League - 2005, 2006, 2015
FA Cup - 2007
English League Cup - 2005, 2007, 2015, 2017
LaLiga - 2012
Copa del Rey - 2011
Coppa Italia - 2010
Serie A - 2009, 2010
Portuguese League - 2003, 2004
UEFA Cup/Europa League - 2003, 2017
Community Shield - 2005, 2017
Portuguese Super Cup - 2003
Italian Super Cup - 2009
Spanish Super Cup - 2013
Wenger did win the 2004 PL unbeaten, which is uncommon in many modern leagues around the world. Wenger has won the FA Cup more times than any other manager in history. Mourinho won this once with Chelsea in 2007, and lost his last final (ironically to Chelsea) in 2018.
But Mourinho won the treble with Inter, and his CL win with Porto was impressive considering its size relative to big clubs from other leagues. Moreover, his Portuguese, Spanish and Italian leagues trump Wenger's achievements.
Mourinho wins this round, due to a higher quantity of trophies, as well as competitions that Wenger didn't win, such as the Champions League and the Europa League.
Winner: Mourinho
Style, influence, and legacy
Great managers don't just win trophies alone- they bring other facets to the table. Greats like Cruyff and Guardiola have won big trophies and played great football, which have added to their legacy.
The same was true of Wenger. The match above, featuring a 7-0 win vs. Everton in 2005, is one of the many examples of great games during his time at Arsenal. Wenger's Arsenal sides made the Gunners a prime footballing global brand, due to the pleasing nature and high technical prowess of their football.
Wenger more consistently played good football. Moreover, his technical skills and style influenced other managers, and were factors in his Arsenal team being the first sustained rival to Sir Alex Ferguson's Manchester United in the late 1990s.
Wenger's football also allowed the likes of Dennis Bergkamp, Thierry Henry, Robert Pires, and Freddie Ljungberg to shine fully, helping Arsenal attain multiple league titles and cups apiece.
He also was known for developing many top-level young players. George Weah, Thierry Henry, Cesc Fabregas, Ashley Cole, and Patrick Vieira were all youth players who attained world-class status under his tutelage. Wenger was an ultimate talent-spotter and developer of burgeoning young players.
Wenger also was the first non-British manager to win the English league. He arguably was a trailblazer for Mourinho and other top foreign managers such as Conte, Ranieri, Mancini, Pellegrini, Guardiola and Klopp.
It's unfair to say that Mourinho's sides were always dull. Clearly Real Madrid didn't play boring football under him. His Chelsea sides parked the bus often, but had technical players such as Eden Hazard, Joe Cole, Arjen Robben, and Didier Drogba, who could light things up when needed.
The reverse was true though at Manchester United, where his dull football was often detracted, and was a principal reason why he was sacked from Old Trafford in 2018.
Mourinho upset the apple cart via his Porto CL win, and then attained major success in England, Italy and Spain. His often tasteless remarks and barbs has made him appear a pantomime-esque villain, much unlike his French counterpart.
It is safe to say that Arsene Wenger influenced English football more, and played a much more attractive style of football. As a result, he takes this round.
Winner: Wenger
Verdict
So, who has been the better manager between them?
Whilst there are some intangibles that constitute managerial greatness, Mourinho trumps this contest due to the number and quality of trophies won. Mourinho has accrued more trophies over the course of his career, and has won in England, Spain, and Italy.
This is not to diminish Wenger's achievements by any stretch. Had Wenger attained a Champions League or further European success, he would have overtaken Mourinho, in part due to his wider intangible influences.
Both managers have inspired other players, with big names under both often speaking highly of them. Wenger was honoured by former Monaco player and current Liberian President George Weah, for setting him on the road to a stellar footballing career, and ultimately to becoming President of his country.
In a recent BBC show, Arsenal legend Ian Wright spoke of the new training and dietary methods Wenger introduced, which reinvigorated the players' careers and added extra sharpness. Fellow club legend and Arsenal captain Tony Adams spoke of how Wenger helped him with his alcohol issues, and aided him in making a new life for himself as a player following his admission to treatment.
Former Chelsea players such as Frank Lampard and John Terry speak highly of Mourinho in kind. Though instances of poor man-management at Chelsea, Man United, and Real Madrid have soured his reputation, the Portuguese remains one of the most respected figures in football.
Either way, both Arsene Wenger and Jose Mourinho should be celebrated for what they have achieved in the game of football.
Verdict: Mourinho
