Pep Guardiola was concerned in a heated pre-match press convention on Friday.
The Manchester Metropolis boss issued a response to Jose Mourinho forward of his facet’s journey to Crystal Palace this weekend.
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Their back-and-forth stems from Guardiola holding up six fingers for every of his titles towards Liverpool on Sunday.
He then stated he hoped to not endure the identical destiny as Mourinho after he did the identical not lengthy earlier than being sacked by Manchester United.
Nevertheless, the three-time Premier League winner responded by saying: “Guardiola stated one thing yesterday.
“He received six trophies and I received three, however I received pretty and cleanly.
“If I misplaced, I need to congratulate my opponent as a result of he was higher than me. I do not need to win by coping with 150 lawsuits.”
Guardiola was requested concerning the feedback on Friday as he spoke forward of the journey to Selhurst Park.
“It was a joke,” he stated with amusing, earlier than repeating extra significantly, “It was a joke.
“It is one other one for the large checklist on this nation and all over the world that they need us in League One, they need us on the backside.
“However I might say to Jose the identical as I say to everybody else – we’re harmless till confirmed responsible. After that, we’ll see what occurs, but it surely’s what it’s.
“So it was utterly a joke.
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“I feel with each our groups, him with Chelsea, myself with Man Metropolis, we are able to sit on the desk with Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger, proper?
“For the various, many titles we received. And I am fairly positive ultimately they’ll congratulate us.
“The joke from Arne Slot was his enterprise, not my enterprise. Speaking about what I stated, if I’ve offended him [Mourinho], I am so sorry… but it surely was a joke.
“The very fact is he had three, I had six. So this can be a truth.
“However the intention was utterly fantastic.”
A reporter then tried to ask Guardiola one other query, seemingly persevering with the dialog round this back-and-forth with Mourinho, however the Metropolis boss shut him down.
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The journalist started: “Hello, Pep. You simply speaking about having the ability, you and Mourinho having the ability to sit…”
However Guardiola interrupted: “No, hear, sufficient.
“Do not ask me that. I reply fairly nicely. I reply the query about Jose, it is no extra.”
The reporter tried once more: “What I used to be going to say…”
However, once more, Guardiola stepped in: “Do not attempt it.”
The journalist was then allowed to ask his query, although, which was not about Mourinho in any respect, however whether or not he envisaged rivalling Ferguson and Wenger for trophies received when he first arrived at Man Metropolis in 2016.
“No, no, no,” the Spaniard replied.
“I bear in mind many individuals say, ‘Yeah, he wins’, you realize, as a result of it is Barca now with Leo Messi and the opposite ones, and, ‘He has to show himself in England’.
“OK. We did it.”
The boss was additionally requested if he has had many conversations with both of the legendary Premier League coaches since taking the Metropolis job, and admitted he has an excellent relationship with each Ferguson and Wenger – who he referred to as a ‘gentleman’.
“With Sir Alex, a number of [conversations],” he stated.
“Now, possibly not in an extended interval, however within the first 12 months it was lots. We have been at charity occasions collectively and it was good.
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“With Arsene, since he retired, has been unimaginable. However Arsene is a gentleman for a lot of, a few years. The final time he got here right here we had an enormous chat.
“Now he has this position inside FIFA and it is vital that these figures are in world soccer.
“After all, each of them had unimaginable success at United and Arsenal, Jose at Chelsea, and I might say ourselves right here at Metropolis.
“However after I’m sitting with them we do not discuss how good we have been and what number of titles now we have received – this sort of stuff is ridiculous.
“We discuss life, this expertise. Sir Alex requested me about how it’s in England, I requested him about his expertise in what number of years in United, and with Arsene I requested him concerning the impression of adjusting from Highbury to the Emirates Stadium.
“We don’t discuss outcomes or the trophies we win or lose – if you raise the trophy, it is good, you simply have one other quantity.”