José Mourinho has delivered a withering response to Pep Guardiola after the Manchester City manager noted that he had won twice as many Premier League titles as his long-time rival.
Mourinho said he had secured his three titles with Chelsea “cleanly and fairly” in an answer that referenced the 100-plus Premier League charges City face over alleged breaches of financial regulations. City have denied wrongdoing.
Mourinho, Fenerbahce’s head coach, commented after Guardiola was asked this week about the six fingers he raised – to represent his six league titles at City – during Sunday’s 2-0 loss at Liverpool.
He was reminded of the three-finger salute Mourinho made as Manchester United’s manager after a loss to Tottenham in August 2018 and how that appeared to be the beginning of the end there for the Portuguese. “I hope not in my case,” Guardiola said. “Maybe we are similar like José, but he won three and I won six.”
On Friday Mourinho said: “I want to win, but I want to win cleanly and fairly. If I can’t win cleanly, I’d rather lose. Guardiola told me something like this. He won six trophies and I won three, but I won fairly and cleanly. If I lost, I want to congratulate my opponent for being better than me. I don’t want to win by dealing with 150 cases.”
Mourinho’s Premier League titles were won under the ownership of Roman Abramovich in 2005, 2006 and 2015. Chelsea’s finances are being examined by the Premier League in an investigation that runs from 2012 to 2019, after their current ownership voluntarily reported that “incomplete financial information” had been submitted during Abramovich’s tenure.
The English Football Association is also investigating Chelsea, and Uefa has fined the club €10.4 million over the admission. The Guardian reported in November 2023 that documents, dated during and outside the period under scrutiny, raised fresh questions over whether Abramovich repeatedly flouted the rules of football to benefit Chelsea.
When contacted, Manchester City declined to comment. – Guardian