Jose Mourinho has responded to Pep Guardiola’s Premier League title jibe in brutal fashion after the Man City boss held up six fingers in reference to his titles at Anfield
Jose Mourinho has fired back at Pep Guardiola after the Manchester City manager reminded supporters that he has clinched twice as many Premier League titles as the Portuguese coach. Guardiola, who has been under mounting pressure following City’s six-match winless streak, made the remark after his team’s 2-0 loss to Liverpool on Sunday.
The 53-year-old was seen gesturing six fingers to the Anfield crowd, signifying the number of top-tier titles he has secured. This act evoked memories of Mourinho when he displayed three fingers to the Chelsea and Tottenham fans while managing Manchester United in 2018.
Mourinho was dismissed from his role at Old Trafford months later, and Guardiola was questioned if he could face the same fate at City.
Guardiola responded: “I hope not in my case… He won three, I won six… but we are the same like that. We are together in those situations. To make our fans know that we are much, much better than the people that sing that [Liverpool fans singing sacked in the morning].
“It [the gesture] was just to make our fans feel that what we have done is extraordinary. I want to prove that we are an incredible football club. Sooner or later it’s going to be the end but I will try to extend as much as possible for the best of my club.”
Mourinho has fiercely retaliated against Guardiola’s comments. The seasoned manager, who now helms Fenerbahce, retorted: “Guardiola said something to me yesterday. He won six trophies and I won three, but I won fairly and cleanly.”
Mourinho continued, drawing on City’s current predicament, 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 lawsuits.”
His remarks nod to the deluge of charges Manchester City are currently facing, accused of breaching financial fair play regulations for almost a decade from 2009 after being taken over by Abu Dhabi United Group until 2018.
An ongoing independent commission that began this September is debated around City’s alleged infractions, with proceedings likely concluding this week. However, an actual judgement may not surface before spring 2025.
Should they be deemed guilty, the club could face severe consequences including potential relegation, alongside other penalties such as points deductions and financial sanctions.
