Jose Mourinho plays down Pep Guardiola rivalry ahead of Manchester clash
Thursday 20 July 2017 08:10, UK
Jose Mourinho has apologised if his much-anticipated rivalry with Pep Guardiola failed to produce the fireworks expected.
Manchester United's appointment of former Real Madrid boss Mourinho last summer fuelled further excitement due to his previous exchanges with Guardiola when the current Manchester City boss was in charge of Barcelona.
The pair, who previously worked together at Barcelona, were forced to wait to lock horns as managers of their respective Manchester sides last summer when a heavily-billed friendly in China was postponed due to the state of the pitch.
United will face rivals City for the first time on foreign soil when they play in Houston on Friday, but after a year in which both bosses failed to immediately deliver a Premier League title, Mourinho played down any thoughts of touchline drama.
"It was not a surprise for me, it is a surprise for the people that keep selling the rivalry," said Mourinho, when asked if his rivalry with Guardiola had not lived up to the hype.
"We were together for three years [at Barcelona], we shared a dressing room for three years, for three years we were laughing and smiling with victories and crying with defeats.
"After that he became Barcelona manager and I was Real Madrid manager in a very specific moment of both clubs where one was the top club in Europe and the other was a giant in trouble and the fight became a fight of two clubs.
"When Pep came to England I was absolutely sure that the type of competition we have in England I was sure it was not about United and City, Mourinho and Pep, I'm sorry if we disappointed."
