Jose Mourinho claimed today that deep down he really respects Arsene Wenger and his various insults over the years did not reflect his true relationship with the Arsenal manager, who announced that he will leave the club at the end of the season.

Mourinho, who called Wenger a “specialist in failure” and also “a voyeur” in his first spell at Chelsea, as well as consistently referencing managers who kept their jobs without winning trophies, said that only “football people” would understand his relationship with his Arsenal counterpart.

Speaking ahead of Saturday’s FA Cup semi-final against Tottenham Hotspur the Manchester United manager said that he hoped Wenger was at peace with his decision to quit Arsenal.

Asked about Wenger and Arsenal’s decision that the Frenchman should quit, Mourinho said: “If he's happy I'm happy, if he's sad, I'm sad, I always wish the best for my opponents.

“If he's happy with the decision he makes and looks forward to the next chapter of his career and his life I'm really happy for him. If he's sad, I'm sad. I'm pretty sure as a club - and especially because Mr Wenger and Arsenal were for many, many years the biggest rivals of Sir Alex [Ferguson's] era - we will show Mr Wenger the respect he deserves.”