At the Laureus World Sports Awards this week, former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger was honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award.
The Frenchman spent 22 years at the helm of the Gunners, an era that brought three Premier League titles and a record-breaking seven FA Cups. His Arsenal title-winning side of 2003/04 season went the whole season undefeated, gaining the moniker ‘The Invincibles’, and is a feat yet unmatched. He left the club at the end of the 2017/18 season.
The presentation at the ceremony in Monaco - whose club Wenger managed between 1987 and 1994 - included a surprise message from Wenger’s perennial foe Jose Mourinho, recently made unemployed by Manchester United. However, the Portuguese was nothing but gushing over his former adversary, with whom he would sporadically and occasionally partial to the odd biting comment in Wenger’s direction (‘A specialist in failure’ comes to mind).
"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,"
said Mourinho, in a video message to Wenger (SkySports).
"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 managers in the history of football."
Wenger exclaimed that he was taken aback by Mourinho’s words but was greatly honoured to receive such an accolade.
It was a surprise yes‚ because we had some good fights but I was also surprised I got this award‚
Wenger said (TimesLive).
“It is usually for people like Pele‚ [Diego] Maradona and [Franz[ Beckenbauer‚ not for a coach from a small village.
