Arsène Wenger has accused the Monaco manager, Leonardo Jardim, of speaking “lies” when he claimed the Frenchman disrespected him.
Jardim said Wenger refused to shake his hand after Monaco beat Arsenal 3-1 in the first leg of their last-16 Champions League at the Emirates Stadium last month.
“In the first leg, when I wanted to thank Arsène and shake his hand, it’s true that Arsène didn’t shake my hand, so even though Monaco did everything to make life comfortable for Arsenal tonight, I decided not to thank him,” Jardim said following Arsenal’s 2-0 second leg victory at Stade Louis II last week.
Wenger has now responded, insisting Jardim’s version of events in London are incorrect. “Pictures show that I waited to congratulate the Monaco coach after the game,” he told L’Équipe. “He was celebrating the victory with his staff, which I quite understood.
“But I congratulated him after the press conference. I’m therefore surprised and disappointed to hear such lies. That said, I do wish Monaco all the best [for the next round] and good luck for the future.”
