Soccer

‘Fairly and cleanly’: Mourinho hits back at Guardiola with Manchester City jibe

Mourinho’s three Premier League titles with Chelsea were won under the ownership of Roman Abramovich

Jose Mourinho during his time as Manchester United manager shakes hands with Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola. Photograph: Reuters
Jose Mourinho during his time as Manchester United manager shakes hands with Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola. Photograph: Reuters
Jamie Jackson
Fri Dec 06 2024 - 22:30

José Mourinho has delivered a withering response to Pep Guardiola after the Manchester City manager noted he had won twice as many ­Premier League titles as his long-time rival.

Mourinho said he had secured his three titles with Chelsea “cleanly and fairly” in an answer that referenced the 100-plus Premier League charges City face over alleged breaches of financial regulations. City have denied wrongdoing.

Informed of the Fenerbahce head coach’s comments, Guardiola stated that he had been joking but that his six titles to Mourinho’s three were “fact” and that the Portuguese is part of the group of people who want to see City relegated to “League One or the Conference”.

Mourinho commented after Guardiola was asked this week about the six fingers he raised – to represent his six league titles at City – during last Sunday’s 2-0 loss at Liverpool. He was reminded of the three-finger salute Mourinho made as Manchester United’s manager after a loss to Tottenham in August 2018 and how that appeared to be the beginning of the end there for the Portuguese.

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“I hope not in my case,” Guardiola said. “Maybe we are similar like José, but he won three and I won six.”

Mourinho said: “I want to win, but I want to win cleanly and fairly. If I can’t win cleanly, I’d rather lose. Guardiola told me something like this. He won six trophies and I won three, but I won fairly and cleanly. If I lost, I want to congratulate my opponent for being better than me. I don’t want to win by dealing with 150 cases.”

In response, Guardiola said: “It was a joke. But he’s another one in the huge list that want the team [City relegated to] League One or the ­Conference. I would say to José the same: we are innocent until proven guilty. After that we will see what happens. It is what it is, it was completely a joke. If I have offended him I’m so sorry. The fact is he has three and I have six. This is a fact. But the ­intention was completely fine.”

The 53-year-old was also complimentary regarding Mourinho’s multiple championship triumphs, saying: “Both with our teams, him with Chelsea and me with Man City, we can sit at the table with Sir Alex Ferguson [at United] and Arsène Wenger [Arsenal], right? For the many titles we won.”

Mourinho’s Premier League titles were won under the ownership of Roman Abramovich in 2005, 2006 and 2015. Chelsea’s finances are being examined by the Premier League in an investigation that runs from 2012 to 2019, after their current ownership voluntarily reported that “­incomplete financial information” had been submitted during Abramovich’s tenure.

The Football Association is also investigating Chelsea, and Uefa has fined the club €10.4 million. The Guardian reported in November 2023 that documents, dated during and outside the period under scrutiny, raised fresh questions over whether Abramovich repeatedly flouted the rules to benefit Chelsea. – Guardian