P. Vieira: Mourinho fascinates me more than Wenger

Former Arsenal defender Patrick Vieira says that as a coach he was more influenced by Jose Mourinho than long-time North London club manager Arsene Wenger.

The Frenchman spent nine seasons with the Gunners, during which he won the Premier League three times and lifted four FA Cups. Later, he moved to Juventus in Turin and also played for Inter Milan, which was then led by Mourinho.

Although Vieira only stayed in the "fashion capital" for 18 months, that time was very memorable for him.

"Mourinho was the one who fascinated me the most with his work ethic," Vieira told The Times. "He knew everything about opponents - both their strengths and weaknesses."

"His attention to detail is unbelievable - it was always clear what he wanted from each player. I don't know what happened at Chelsea, but he always got the best out of his players."

When asked which coach would lead his dream team, Vieira had no doubts: "Jose. He is the coach who had the most influence on me."

"Arsene focuses more on his team and gives them the freedom to express themselves. His style is different."

Now in charge of New York City's club, the Frenchman added that he did not receive an offer to join Arsenal's coaching staff and has not spoken to Wenger in a long time, as he is a very busy person.