Pep Guardiola demanded Premier League rivals apologise for ‘whispering’ about Manchester City’s conduct and wants any criticism of his club directed at them ‘face to face’.
Guardiola was fired up when speaking for the first time since the Court of Arbitration (CAS) overturned City’s two-year Champions League suspension.
Free of legal shackles, the Catalan took aim at the eight teams who penned a joint letter to CAS opposing the prospect of City applying to freeze the ban prior to June’s hearing.
Guardiola wasted no time in voicing his displeasure, just moments after Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp and Tottenham’s Jose Mourinho had both made their feelings clear.
Mourinho labelled the verdict a ‘disgrace’ – suggesting City should not have been fined £9million for obstructing UEFA’s investigation if ultimately innocent – while Klopp claimed ‘it was not a good day for football’.
Mourinho added that ‘the circus door is open,’ and pronounced Financial Fair Play dead.
‘I tell Jose and Jurgen that it was a good day for football,’ Guardiola said. ‘A very good day. We played with the same rules as everyone. If we broke them then we would’ve been banned.
‘How many times have people come to our club whispering about us? I’d love for it to finish. Look in our eyes and say something to us face to face. We’ll shake hands if we lose. But they lost off the pitch. They have to go on the pitch and try to beat us like the sportsmen that we are.
‘Jose and other managers should know that our reputation was damaged, (that) we should be apologised to.
‘Don’t go behind (us) and start whispering, seven or eight clubs. Our reputation was damaged. Our prestige and reputation was damaged with accusations that now we have shown were not true. The people should accept it. We should complain and we aren’t.
‘The people said we were cheating, lying, many times. The presumption of innocence was not there.
‘I know that for elite clubs – especially Liverpool, (Manchester) United, Arsenal – it is uncomfortable us being here but they have to understand we deserve to be with them, competing with them.’
Guardiola appeared to suggest surprise that Premier League champions Liverpool also signed the letter, given their participation in next season’s Champions League was effectively secure.
‘All these clubs Arsenal, Chelsea, Leicester, Wolves, Man Utd, Tottenham, Liverpool – Liverpool – Burnley, I understand they want the five positions,’ he added. ‘We were with the eight clubs, we wanted a resolution.
‘(But) don’t go behind and whisper. Next time before (you) make phone calls, call our chairman and say, “guys, all these clubs we are going to do it all together”.
‘Manchester City don’t have to apologise because the three independent judges decided we have done everything properly. It’s clear. We were exonerated for something we were accused of.
‘In the last decade, we’ve spent more than in the past, yes, but 30 years ago Arsene Wenger (spent). Arsene, the guy who perfectly defends Financial Fair Play… so Arsene, you know that Manchester City was correct with what we have done.
‘United with Sir Alex Ferguson spent a lot of money. When Chelsea started to win Premier Leagues, they invested more than the others. Barcelona and Real Madrid spent a lot of money.’
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