What Arsene Wenger’s gift from Man Utd had written on it in classy gesture from club

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Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger saw his possible final visit to Man Utd as a manager end in defeat on Sunday, but there was a touching moment with old foe Sir Alex Ferguson before the game.

As noted by BBC Sport, the veteran tactician has announced that he will step down from his position at the end of the season, marking the end of a 22-year reign with the Gunners.

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In turn, United opted to hold a classy pre-game presentation with Sir Alex Ferguson handing over a gift to his former rival, with the pair enjoying countless battles in an incredible period of fighting it out for Premier League titles in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

Jose Mourinho was also invited into the photographs by Ferguson as he appeared to congratulate Wenger too, and it has now been confirmed what was inscribed onto Wenger’s gift.

“Presented to Arsene Wenger by Sir Alex Ferguson CBE and Jose Mourinho on behalf of Manchester United Football Club, in recognition of his service to and achievements at Arsenal Football Club 1996 – 2018,” The Mirror report.

It’s a great touch from the Red Devils as although they’ve had a fierce rivalry with Arsenal and Wenger in the past, it’s great to see that they still maintain a level of respect too for a great competitor over the years.

The Gunners weren’t able to do the same for Ferguson when he retired given the timing of his announcement, but they’ll certainly appreciate this as will Wenger, who even shared a friendly moment with Mourinho despite their troubled past after a number of verbal and physical confrontations.

With Ferguson and Wenger now potentially departing the Premier League, it does raise the question as to whether we’ll see anything like it again as their longevity in the modern-day game is very rare given the impatience and desire for immediate and constant success at clubs across the board.

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