Karma? Deschamps aims dig at Mourinho after favourites comment

Didier Deschamps aims dig at Mourinho's Spurs era in the wake of Euro 2020 championship. (Photo credit: Sky Sports)

Sometime not exactly too far away, the men of the English press asked Arsene Wenger what he thought of Chelsea’s team, it was in the 2013/2014 season, it was the return of Jose Mourinho to Chelsea after some productive sojourn at Inter Milan and Real Madrid.

Journo: “Hey Arsene, what do you make of Jose’s return and Chelsea’s chances in the title race?”

Arsene: “They have a rich history together and I think they are clear favourites”

This was how it started then and one would think this in all sincerity was one manager showing respect to another.

But when the same journalist asked Jose Mourinho at his own press conference ahead of the visit of Swansea to Stamford Bridge, he didn’t agree with Wenger.

Journo: Hey Jose, Arsene thinks you have the strongest chance of landing the title, do you agree with him?

Mourinho: “He’s saying nonsense, it’s too early to call and everyone has the same chance as it stands, his team should be in it as well”

It’s easy to actually, heap some blames on journalists as well because they obviously incite these things to have sellable stories, but it didn’t stop there.

Another journalist took it up and the next exchange led to what we’re referring to today.

Journo: Hi Arsene, Jose dismissed your favourites tag on Chelsea and thinks your team should be in the running too, what do you think?

Arsene: “Oh, he’s clearly afraid of failure”

Was that a dig? You don’t teach people how to react but were you expecting Mou’s response to that?

Journo: “Arsene insists your team should win the league this season and you know it but you’re only afraid of failure…”

Mourinho: “He knows better because he’s a specialist in failure!”

Did you see that coming?

Deschamps prepare France ahead of Euros

Journalists have their ways with people at pressers but they can only get what you’re willing to say, and in a mirrored image of the incident between Mourinho and Wenger in 2014, French head coach Didier Deschamps has repaid the faith in equal measure.

Le Bleus is aiming to emulate the feat of the class of 1998 that won the world cup and followed that up with Euros in the Netherlands and Belgium two years later.

Spain did the same in 2010 and 2012, becoming only the second team to win a back-to-back major tournament in Europe.

In the wake of France’s preparation for the Euros, Jose Mourinho was speaking to newsmen and said he doesn’t see any weakness in the French side and Deschamps’ side should go on and win the tournament which kicks off on Friday.

Speaking to The Sun, Mourinho said: "I cannot see any weakness. If I had to say one team to win it, I will say them -- because the group of players is fantastic.

"They have to win it. If not, it is an unsuccessful Euros."

In a sharp response, the French head coach said: "I thought the same thing about his Tottenham team, but it did not end up happening like that.”

Karma at its finest?