[ad_1]
Pep Guardiola has rejected suggestions from rival José Mourinho that Manchester City could have influenced Raheem Sterling’s withdrawal from England this week.
England striker Sterling was released from Gareth Southgate’s team ahead of Wednesday’s clash against Iceland to return to City due to a calf injury.
Tottenham manager José Mourinho has complained that Southgate has too easily listened to the concerns of certain club managers, and asked the head of England to identify those with whom he has spoken.
ARTICLE: Tottenham v Man City: One Big Game, Five Big Questions
Mourinho, speaking at a press conference on Friday, purposely added “we all know that Sterling will play” as City face their Spurs team in the Premier League on Saturday.
The city manager, Guardiola, has denied there is anything adverse in Sterling’s retirement and insists that doctors would confirm it if necessary.
He said: “Mourinho has to speak to the England team doctor and the Manchester City doctor. Except that perhaps Mourinho is a doctor, I don’t know ”.
Guardiola, speaking at his pre-match press conference, refused to enter into a war of words with Mourinho.
The pair had a bitter and fierce rivalry when they respectively managed Barcelona and Real Madrid, but were at least more cordial when Mourinho was in charge of neighboring Manchester United.
And it was clear that Guardiola did not want to rekindle tensions now when asked about Mourinho’s recent comments that City players pounce too easily.
“Listen, I’m not going to answer you anything about José,” said the Spaniard. “I told the doctor because he accused us of something we have done that is not true.
“You have to talk to the doctors about these other things, don’t ask me.
“I’m almost 50 years old. I’m old enough to understand …”
Guardiola, who has won six major trophies, including two Premier League titles in four years at City, signed a new contract this week that commits him to the club until 2023.
The new deal has immediately sparked speculation linking City to Lionel Messi, with whom they were strongly linked during the Argentine’s contract showdown with Barcelona last summer.
But Guardiola, who twice won the Champions League with a Barça with Messi, said: “Lionel Messi is a Barcelona player. I want him to finish his career there. That is what I want. I said it a thousand times. As a Barcelona fan I want Leo to end up there ”.
However, whether or not City’s future includes six-time world player of the year Messi, the club believes they are a much more attractive proposition with the inspiring Guardiola in charge.
Soccer director Txiki Begiristain told the City’s official website: “We already have an incredible team. We have many top-level players.
“But the life of the team is always changing. There are some players who ask to leave, there are other players who want to come. There are players who think they want to play more than the others.
“So this is the natural life of a team. So what is very, very good for the club and for my job is having Pep.
“It is quite easy to convince the players to come because Pep makes the players better. They can see an improvement and that is obvious and that helps to sign the players for Man City ”.
[ad_2]
