Mourinho Bites Back At Guardiola: ‘I Won Fairly’

Fenerbahce manager Jose Mourinho has fired back at Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola, asserting that the Premier League titles he won at Chelsea were achieved “fairly and cleanly.” Mourinho’s comments come in response to Guardiola’s recent statement that he had won six English top-flight titles compared to the Portuguese coach’s three.

The exchange began when Guardiola, whose team suffered a 2-0 defeat at Liverpool on Sunday, held up six fingers to home fans, indicating the number of league titles he had won in response to chants of “you’re getting sacked in the morning.” This gesture mirrored Mourinho’s actions during his time as Manchester United manager, when he held up three fingers to opposing fans during a disappointing league campaign before being sacked in December 2018 following a loss to Liverpool.

When asked at a news conference if he could face a similar fate to Mourinho, Guardiola said, “I hope not in my case… he won three, I won six.. but we are the same like that.”

Mourinho, speaking ahead of Fenerbahce’s clash with Besiktas on Friday, alluded to Manchester City’s charges over alleged violations of the Premier League’s financial rules from 2009 to 2018, which the club has consistently denied. “Guardiola said something about me… he won six trophies and I won three, but I won fairly and cleanly,” Turkish outlet Hurriyet quoted Mourinho as saying.

The former Chelsea and Manchester United manager emphasized his sportsmanship, stating, “If I lost, I want to congratulate my opponent because he was better than me. I don’t want to win by dealing with 150 court cases.”

This is not the first time Mourinho has taken shots at Manchester City. He previously expressed hope that he could add a fourth Premier League medal to his cabinet if City were stripped of their titles and United, who finished second in the 2017-2018 season, were awarded the Premier League trophy instead.

The ongoing rivalry between Mourinho and Guardiola continues to fuel their public exchanges, with the latest comments from the Portuguese manager highlighting the tension between the two successful coaches and the ongoing controversy surrounding Manchester City’s financial dealings.