Arsene Wenger tonight maintained he did not feel he had anything to apologise to Jose Mourinho about - and reserved the right to consider legal action over claims from the Chelsea boss he was a "voyeur".
Mourinho has put forward the offer of a mutual apology to call an end to their unseemly war of words - but only if the Arsenal manager does the same for his repeated barbed comments about the Barclays Premiership champions, which Chelsea claim fills up a 120-page dossier.
The Portuguese coach has also maintained his comments were "not a personal
thing".
The Football Association and the League Managers Association have urged the pair to call a truce, while there have been encouraging conversations at boardroom level.
Wenger, though, insisted he would wait until next week's international break to decide whether to follow through his threat of legal proceedings against Mourinho.
And today the Frenchman defended his right to freedom of expression, while also seeking an end to public debate over the row.
"I think we have to close the subject, but I don't see what I have to apologise for first," Wenger said.
The Arsenal manager maintained he had been hurt by the comments made from Mourinho.
"Yes, of course I was. It was a personal attack," he said.
Wenger continued: "My intention has never been to hurt Chelsea. I am not especially interested in talking about Chelsea.
"I give my opinion honestly. Sometimes people like it, sometimes they don't.
"It's not meant to hurt anyone and I have certainly never personally attacked anyone."
