Jose Mourinho has surprisingly praised “deserving” Arsene Wenger after he was rewarded with a new Arsenal conteact.
Wenger agreed a two-year-contract with the Gunners at the end of May despite steering his side to a disappointing fifth place finish in the Premier League last season. although he did guide the club to their third FA Cup triumph in four years.
The Arsenal boss has been at the helm of the club for 22 years and although many fans called for Wenger to leave at the end of their 2016/17 campaign the United boss believes it was the right decision.
Mourinho has been highly critical of his Premier League dug-out rival ever since moving to Chelsea in 2004 and consistently claimed the Frenchman is operating under less pressure than top-level managers.
The Red Devils are currently in the US for their pre-season tour and Mourinho has now delivered his latest comments on his rival during a press conference in Los Angeles.
Mourinho was quoted in The Mirror as saying: “The way Wenger was treated, I think two more years of contract is fantastic treatment.
“That is what every manager wants, to be strong enough to make their own decisions to forget the media opinions, the pundits’ opinions and the supporters’ opinions.
“I think Mr Wenger got exactly what every manager wants. A strong club, two more years of contract and conditions to try to win titles. Fantastic treatment from the Arsenal board. That is what he deserves and that is what every manager wants.”
Mourinho and Wenger have been known for their rivalry in the Premier League throughout the years, which was highlighted during a press conference before United’s clash with Arsenal in November last season.
The former Chelsea manager previously stated that he believed that Wenger had more respect from the media than Mourinho, despite the Gunners’ lack of recent silverware.
Manchester United finished behind Arsenal in the Premier League last season but managed to win both the League Cup and the Europa League respectively, while the Gunners’ bagged the FA Cup.