Jose Mourinho has taken a swipe at Pep Guardiola, stating that his three Premier League titles were won “fairly and cleanly,” in stark contrast to the controversy surrounding Manchester City. The Fenerbahce manager’s comments come amid the 130 charges faced by City, related to alleged breaches of financial regulations during Guardiola’s time at the club. Mourinho and Guardiola have long been rivals, with their competitive battles spanning their time at Real Madrid and Barcelona, and later at Manchester United and Manchester City.
Guardiola recently faced taunts from Liverpool fans, who chanted “sacked in the morning,” to which he responded by raising six fingers—each representing the six Premier League titles he’s won. This was a direct reference to the time when Mourinho raised three fingers in a similar gesture, symbolizing the three titles he claimed during his two spells at Chelsea, despite being ridiculed during his time at Manchester United.
However, Mourinho made it clear that his approach to winning is different. He said, “I want to win, but I want to win cleanly. If I can’t win fairly, I’d rather lose. Guardiola has won six titles, but I did it the right way. If I lose, I’ll acknowledge my opponent’s superiority. I don’t want to win by getting tangled up in 150 legal cases.”
The charges against Manchester City relate to alleged violations of financial rules between 2009 and 2018, the period when Guardiola won his first Premier League title. Should City be found guilty, they could face severe consequences, including the potential stripping of titles. Mourinho’s Manchester United finished second in the league in 2018, a distant 19 points behind City. Although Guardiola has strongly defended City and is not personally implicated in the case, the matter is still under legal review, with a decision expected next year.
