According to Jose Mourinho, numbers often tell only part of the story. His latest spat with Pep Guardiola over the soul of modern football highlights the latest rivalry between the two legendary coaches.
Pep Guardiola recently responded to jeers from Liverpool fans with a defiant display, holding up six fingers to represent his Premier League titles with Manchester City. When reminded of José Mourinho’s similar three-finger gesture in 2018, Guardiola remarked, “Maybe we are similar like José, but he won three and I won six.”
While Guardiola intended to highlight his own success, the comment provided Mourinho with fodder for a classic rebuke from the Special One.
Mourinho claps back at Guardiola with sharp response
Mourinho, now Fenerbahçe’s head coach, 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.”
Sick, burn.
The reference to “150 cases” is a pointed nod to the over 100 charges Manchester City faces for alleged breaches of financial regulations. City has denied any wrongdoing, but the charges continue to cast a shadow over Guardiola’s tenure. Mourinho’s comments implicitly question how achievements should be valued if financial controversies potentially taint them.
Mourinho’s three Premier League titles were secured during his time at Chelsea under Roman Abramovich’s ownership in 2005, 2006, and 2015. But those, too, are marred by controversy.
Chelsea remains under the microscope for its financial practices during and beyond Abramovich’s 19-year possessorship. Investigations by the Premier League, the Football Association, and UEFA have revealed that incomplete financial information was submitted during that period, resulting in an $11 million fine. Mourinho’s assertion of “cleanly and fairly” winning titles faces its own questions.
The rivalry between Guardiola and Mourinho, which began over a decade ago, continues to evolve. The two originally crossed paths in 1996 when Guardiola, a senior player, played for Bobby Robson. Mourinho worked as Robson’s assistant coach and translator.
Mourinho’s three-finger gesture was the beginning of the end of his tenure at United. Be a shame if Guardiola suffered the same fate. Fortunately for the Spaniard, he’s got City back to winning ways after suffering an entire winless month.
