Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has denied he has a running feud with Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson.

Mourinho claimed that Ferguson influenced referee Neale Barry during their Carling Cup semi-final first leg, but he dismissed reports of a feud between himself and the United manager.

“People want a storm but there isn’t one. There’s no problem and no war or mind games between us,” said Mourinho.

“I respect Sir Alex a lot because he’s a great manager, but he must follow the procedure, we must all be the same.

“I’m a European champion and so is Ferguson, it doesn’t matter who you are.

“I don’t speak with referees and I don’t want other managers doing it, it’s the rule. One thing is to speak, one thing is to shout.

“This is nothing against Sir Alex whatsoever. After the game on Wednesday we were together in my office and we spoke and drank wine.

“Unfortunately it was a very bad bottle of wine and he was complaining, so when we go to Old Trafford for the second leg, on my birthday, I will take a beautiful bottle of Portuguese wine.

“But he is a great manager, he is clever and used his power and his prestige. Thereferee should not allow it. I have a lot of respect for Ferguson. I call him boss because he is the manager’s boss.

“He’s the top manager in the country. Maybe when I become 60, the kids will call me the same.”

Ferguson responded to Mourinho’s remarks by claiming that the former Porto coach was merelytrying to persuade officials to be sympathetic to Chelsea in future matches.

“He’s trying to influence the referee for the game with Spurs,” he said.

“What I find more interesting are John Terry’s comments when he says the referee wouldn’t listen to him.

“I ask: ‘Why would he listen to him?’. Is he saying he can influence other referees? I have never heard a captain make comments like that before.”

“I think Mourinho has opened a can of worms for himself,” added Ferguson.

“We remember what happened in Porto.

“Look back a couple of weeks to the penalty decision that went their way against Liverpool and how Rafael Benitez handled that.”