It does not matter at all what an enlightened person does or does not say. They might be enlightened, and playing around. Failure is the greatest accomplishment there is. I'm sure you can find out more about this on the Web. All they did was realize that their petty hopes could never be realized.
Words can never do the trick, in proving anything.
You must be a Zen Master to have any clue what is and what is not, as far as absolute enlightenment is concerned. Not even getting a job, even if you need one to survive. Of course, having or not having a job proves nothing of one's enlightenment. It does not matter at all what an enlightened person does or does not say. They might be enlightened, and playing around.