This won’t be the last time Pep Guardiola is asked about the new Manchester United manager.
Guardiola and Jose Mourinho’s were colleagues for four years at Barcelona between 1996 and 2000. Guardiola was the midfield lynchpin and Mourinho worked as a translator and coach for Bobby Robson, before gaining greater coaching responsibility under Louis van Gaal.
However, things turned toxic when Mourinho became Real Madrid manager in 2010, and proceeded to engage in mental warfare with Guardiola, seeming hell-bent on grinding down the Barcelona coach.
Many are predicting a re-run of the conflict now that both are managers of the respective Manchester clubs, but Guardiola kept it cool when asked about his old rival at Friday’s press conference, his first as City manager.
“Jose said it pretty well. It’s not about me or him,” Guardiola said.
“The other one is going to win. What I saw from the distance is that it is so tough to win games here. I will find that out myself. We have played against each other many times as coaches and the big coaches help me to reach another level.
“My experience against him or Jurgen Klopp, they made me better. All of the managers want to win and we want to do that as well.”
Guardiola also said he’s looking forward City’s first game of the season, at home to Sunderland and “the Big Sam”, and to playing during the Christmas period, when European clubs take a winter break.
“I never played on Boxing Day. I have never been to a stadium where it is windy and freezing and the pitch is not good. It’s a target for me. I want to prove myself here.”
