They might have had fights and war of words but Jose Mourinho has described Arsene Wenger as ‘one of the best football managers in the history’.
When Mourinho was managing Chelsea, he once called Wenger ‘a specialist in failure’ and since then the duo often had the war of words even during Mou’s time at Manchester United.
However, during Monday’s Laureus World Sport Awards in Monaco on Monday when Wenger was being presented with the lifetime achievement prize, Mourinho hailed his former rival.
Since Wenger stepped down as Arsenal boss their relationship cooled with the Special One describing a “respect” between the two former rivals.
“There were some episodes along the road. I can only speak by myself. I really enjoyed the competition. But the real respect was always there,” Mourinho said on a video message.
“He made lots of history in that football club. The nickname is there — the ‘Invincibles.’ Amazing. A coaching philosophy, the almost perfect team. He is one of the best football managers in the history of football.”
Mourinho was one of a number of names from the world of football to praised a Wenger as he received his lifetime award on Monday.