Jose Mourinho has responded to accusations from Pep Guardiola, insisting he does not want Manchester City to be relegated, but is calling for financial justice in football.
The heated exchange between the two managers started last week when Guardiola seemed to take a swipe at Mourinho’s record compared to his own. Mourinho fired back, reminding Guardiola of the 115 charges City is contesting related to alleged financial violations.
“I won my titles fairly and cleanly,” Mourinho said. “If I lost, I’d congratulate my opponent for being better. I don’t want to win by dealing with 150 lawsuits.” Guardiola countered, suggesting that Mourinho was one of many hoping for City to be found guilty and relegated as a punishment.
When asked about Guardiola’s comments, Mourinho clarified that his issue is with the financial practices of big clubs, not with City’s relegation.
“I don’t want City relegated. What I want is justice in football. Small clubs get punished for minor budget overages, while big clubs, the ‘financial sharks,’ seem to escape the rules,” said the Fenerbahce manager.
Mourinho emphasized his long-standing friendship with Guardiola, recalling their time together when Mourinho was an assistant and Guardiola was a player. Despite the public spat, he insisted that their relationship remains unaffected.
His focus, he said, is on fairness, having experienced the challenges of financial restrictions firsthand during his time at Roma.