Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has responded to Jose Mourinho’s recent comments about his team, claiming the AS Roma coach is among those wishing for the reigning Premier League champions to be relegated.
Mourinho had earlier reignited their rivalry, referencing his three Premier League titles, which he claimed were won “fairly and cleanly.” The remarks came after Guardiola gestured with six fingers towards Liverpool fans following City’s recent 2-0 defeat at Anfield, symbolizing his six league titles.
Mourinho, in a pointed critique, said,
Guardiola won six trophies, and I won three, but I won fairly and cleanly. If I lost, I would congratulate my opponent because he was better. I don’t want to win by dealing with 150 court cases.
His comment referenced Manchester City’s ongoing 115 charges for alleged breaches of the Premier League’s financial rules.
In his response, Guardiola said,
He’s another one in a huge list that wants the team to be in… I don’t know, in League One or the Conference. I would say to Jose the same: we are innocent until proven guilty, and after that, we will see what happens. It is what it is.
This exchange adds another chapter to the long-standing rivalry between the two managerial heavyweights, with tensions heightened by City’s legal battles and Mourinho’s history of outspoken criticism. As City continues to fight for dominance on and off the pitch, Guardiola remains firm in defending his team’s achievements under his tenure.
