Pep Guardiola was asked about Arne Slot's joke in a press conference
Pep Guardiola refused to fire back at Liverpool manager Arne Slot after he made a joke about the 115 charges Manchester City are facing.
Slot was in a playful mood on Tuesday when asked about Mohamed Salah’s comments that Sunday’s 2-0 win over City could be his final home match against the defending champions, with his contract expiring in June. “Maybe Mo knows more about the 115 [charges] so he doesn’t expect them to be in the Premier League next season,” Slot said.
Perhaps sensing a backlash, the Liverpool boss quickly added: “I do expect them to be in the Premier League. That was a joke! I do repeat: that was a joke.”
City are locked in a legal battle with the Premier League over 115 allegations they broke financial rules. They could be relegated from the top flight if found guilty. The club deny all the allegations but the case will cloud the 2024/25 campaign, with a verdict not likely until late 2025, while appeals will further lengthen the process.
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Speaking ahead of City’s game against Nottingham Forest on Wednesday, Guardiola was asked what he made of Slot’s comments. “It was a joke,” he replied bluntly. “He said it was a joke, right? It was a joke.”
Guardiola has bigger fish to fry, given City are currently on a seven-match winless streak and sit 11 points behind Liverpool in the title race. The City boss has cut a frustrated figure on the touchline over recent weeks and made headlines at Anfield on Sunday when he held up six fingers to the crowd in reference to the number of Premier League titles he has won.
Asked whether he had lost his cool, Guardiola said: “We won six, yeah. I was never cool. Do you know why I was cool? Because we won. If you ever win, it’s so cool, it’s so handsome, it’s so nice. When you don’t win it’s completely the opposite. But it’s the same.”
Arne Slot was in a playful mood in his press conference ( Image: Liverpool FC)
Guardiola’s actions echoed those of Jose Mourinho, who held three fingers when he was Manchester United manager. That incident was seen as the beginning of the end for Mourinho at United.
“I hope not in my case,’ Guardiola said. “Maybe we are similar like Jose, but he won three and I won six! We are together in those situations.
“It 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.”
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