Hatem Ben Arfa slams Jose Mourinho for 'boring football'

By Daniel Lewis, Senior Reporter | 05 April 2017

Ben Arfa slams Mourinho for 'boring football'

Hatem Ben Arfa claims that Jose Mourinho and Diego Simeone are 'taking the pleasure away from football' with their respective playing styles.

Hatem Ben Arfa has accused Jose Mourinho of instilling a negative style of play at Manchester United, while also taking a dig at Atletico Madrid chief Diego Simeone.

The France international, who is now plying his trade with Paris Saint-Germain in Ligue 1, suggests that the two managers have taken all the pleasure away from watching their respective sides.

United have endured a disappointing league campaign in Mourinho's first season at the helm, winning just six of their 16 games at Old Trafford and scoring a total of 21 times, while Atleti have had better success at grinding out results in recent years.

Speaking to France Football, Ben Arfa said: "Many coaches are convinced to invent football on the pretext that they are looking for a system to block the opponent.

"But this is not in the essence of football, with Mourinho and Simeone. It is the antithesis of [Johan] Cruyff and his freedom, and with them there is no longer room for pleasure.

"There is no more spectacle, to the point that football interests me much less. I do not find pleasure watching matches. Even in Ligue 1, we kill football."

Ben Arfa joined PSG from Nice last summer, having previously played for Lyon, Marseille, Newcastle United and Hull City.