Jose Mourinho has revealed how Arsene Wenger helped him and Sir Alex Ferguson become better managers at Manchester United.
Mourinho said when Wenger arrived at Arsenal back in 1996, he pushed Sir Alex Ferguson to new levels as United boss.
Ferguson and Wenger had a fractious relationship and so did Mourinho and the Frenchman.
Wenger will make his final visit to Old Trafford as Arsenal boss on Sunday and Mourinho said he will be given a good reception by United fans.
The Portuguese said Wenger will be received warmly despite the intense rivalry he had with Ferguson over nearly two decades.
He told press conference, “I always feel the biggest rivals are our biggest friends because they’re the ones that pushed us to the limit and I think Manchester Untied fans know that until 2004 for about a decade it [the title] was between Manchester United and Arsenal.
“I was between Sir Alex and Mr Wenger and I think that these great teams, Arsenal had the fight, shoulder to shoulder with Manchester United and made Manchester United better and better.
“I hope he has a good reaction, if not good then not bad at all, and from us as a club, he is going to feel the respect we have.”
Mourinho once labelled Wenger “a voyeur” and on another occasion a “specialist in failure.”
Wenger pushed Mourinho in the chest on the touchline during a game at Stamford Bridge in October 2014.
Mourinho added, “There are little things where it would be obviously better without them, some gestures, some words, it would be better without them.
“I feel better now without it, no doubts about it, but again when I arrived in England in 2004, Arsene was the champion of the famous ‘Invincibles’, and I arrived and for the next couple of years was with them.
“They had an amazing team with Bergkamp, Henry, Campbell so again thank you very much for that, they pushed us to the limits.
“We had big matches, big fights, so thank you so much for that. Regret? Little negative episodes and he probably regrets them too.”
Comentários