Sports
Man City’s Pep Guardiola Responds To José Mourinho Jibe
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola said he was only joking when he referred to winning twice as many Premier League titles as José Mourinho, after the former Chelsea boss said that he had won his titles fairly.
The Spaniard also said City were innocent until proven guilty, responding to Mourinho’s allusions to their alleged violations of Premier League financial rules from 2009 to 2018, which the club has always denied.
Guardiola, who held up six fingers to Liverpool fans on Sunday, a gesture similar to Mourinho holding up three fingers in 2018 before getting sacked by Manchester United, had made the comment when asked if he could suffer a fate similar to the Portuguese.
“I hope not in my case … He won three, I won six … but we are the same like that,” Guardiola answered.
Mourinho responded to Guardiola’s comment on Friday, ahead of his team Fenerbahce’s clash with Besiktas.
“I won fairly and cleanly … I don’t want to win by dealing with 150 court cases,” Turkish outlet Hurriyet quoted Mourinho as saying.
City did not immediately respond to a request for comment about Mourinho’s statement.
Guardiola, speaking to reporters later on Friday, said he had no bad intentions when making the comment about Mourinho.
“If I have offended him, I am so sorry. But it was a joke. The fact is he has three and I have six, it is a fact. But the intention was completely fine,” he said.
“I think both with our teams – he with Chelsea, myself with Man City – we can sit in the table with Sir Alex Ferguson, Arsène Wenger right? For the many, many titles we’ve won. I’m pretty sure sooner or later they will congratulate us.”
Guardiola said there were many people around the world who wanted to see City at the bottom.
“We are innocent until proven as guilty. After that we’ll see what happens, but it is what it is,” he added.
Mourinho has taken shots at City before, saying in October that he was hoping he could add a fourth Premier League medal to his cabinet if City are stripped of their titles and United, who finished second in 2017-18, are awarded the Premier League trophy.
Chelsea, where Mourinho won his three English top-flight titles in 2004-05, 2005-06 and 2014-15, are being investigated by the Premier League for potential financial rule breaches between 2012 and 2019.
Sports
“Any attempt to lose to Arsenal, ends Mancity’s dream of title race”-Guardiola
Manchester City manager, Pep Guardiola, has claimed that the Premier League title race will be over if they lose to Arsenal this weekend.
City welcome the Gunners in a top-of-the-table clash on Sunday.
The league leaders are six points ahead of Guardiola’s men, although City have a game in hand.
A win for Arsenal will extend the gap, while the former champions have the chance to go within three points.
“If we lose, it’s over. But with the other two results, and knowing that Arsenal didn’t win against Bournemouth, we still have games to play,” Guardiola said.
City were held to a 1-1 draw in the reverse fixture at the Emirates.
But they beat Arsenal 2-0 in the Carabao Cup final last month, as they began to build momentum ahead of the run-in.
Sports
Bernardo Silva To Leave Man City At End Of Season
Bernardo Silva is set to leave Man City at the end of the season.
The Manchester City captain Bernardo Silva will leave the club when his contract expires at the end of the season.
The Portugal midfielder, 31, has scored 76 goals and made 77 assists in 451 appearances for City since joining from Monaco in 2017.
Last month’s Carabao Cup victory was his 15th major honour with City, including the Treble in 2022-23.
Silva also helped City win the Premier League title with 100 points in 2017-18, all four domestic trophies in 2018-19, and four consecutive league titles between 2021 and 2024.
“What we won and achieved together is a legacy that will forever be cherished in my heart,” he said on Instagram., external
“The Centurions, the domestic quadruple, the Treble, the four in a row, and much more. It wasn’t that bad.”
Silva is the only player from City’s modern era in the top 10 of the club’s all-time appearances list and is currently joint-eighth with Mike Summerbee.
He was named club captain following the departure of Kevin de Bruyne at the end of last season and has won six Premier League titles in his first eight seasons with City.
The Blues are currently second in the league and play Southampton in the FA Cup semi-finals on 25 April.
“My main goal as a player was to always play with passion so you guys (the fans) could feel proud and well represented on the pitch,” Silva added. “I hope you felt that every single game.
“I arrived as a Man City player, I leave as one more of you, a Man City supporter for life. Keep supporting this young team, and I’m pretty sure they will bring you a lot of new, fantastic memories in the future. Let’s enjoy together these last weeks and fight for what this season still brings us.”
Another long-time City servant is set to depart the Etihad.
Since joining City, Silva has been alongside Pep Guardiola every step of the way and has become the manager’s most trusted lieutenant and his voice on the field.
Once an attacking midfielder, the Portuguese has dropped deeper into a more defensive role, and his high work rate was on show during Sunday’s statement win at Chelsea.
Silva may not have the number of goals and assists Kevin de Bruyne supplied for City, but he was handed the captain’s armband in the summer for “always being there” last season, when they failed to win a major trophy.
And Silva led the side to March’s Carabao Cup triumph over Arsenal to end that barren run, climbing the steps at Wembley to lift a remarkable 19th piece of silverware at the club.
When sitting in for Guardiola following the FA Cup quarter-final win over Liverpool earlier this month, his assistant Pep Lijnders said “every story comes to an end”.
Guardiola subsequently said Silva had not yet told him what decision he had made on his future, but his departure has now been confirmed, and he will spend the final few weeks of the season trying to win a domestic treble and further cement his status as an undoubted City great.
Sports
Former Arsenal, Liverpool Legend Dies In Train Crash
A former Arsenal and Liverpool legend is dead after a train crash.
The former Arsenal and Liverpool goalkeeper passed away on Thursday after his car was struck by a train in Salzburg.
Local reports say that Manninger was driving at a level crossing in Pabing, near Nussdorf am Haunsberg, at 8:20 am before his vehicle was dragged several metres by the train.
Believed to be driving alone, Manninger was pulled from the wreckage but sadly died at the scene.
Austrian outlet Salzburg ORF added that the 25 passengers who were on board the train are thought to be unharmed.
The Austrian FA (OFB) confirmed his death by posting on social media: “The news of Alex Manninger’s death is deeply shocking. With him, football loses a special person.
“In this difficult time, our sincere condolences go to his family, his friends, and all those who were close to him. Much strength for the time ahead.”
Manninger played 39 times for Arsenal between 1997 and 2002, the final year of which he became third choice and was loaned to Fiorentina in Italy.
Predominately backup to David Seaman, Manninger helped the Gunners win both the Premier League title and FA Cup during his time in North London.
Arsenal said in a tribute: “Everyone at Arsenal is shocked and deeply saddened by the tragic passing of former goalkeeper, Alex Manninger.
All our thoughts are with his family and loved ones at this incredibly sad time. Rest in peace, Alex.”
In a career that spanned 22 years and 15 different clubs, Liverpool was his final destination. He was signed by Jurgen Klopp ahead of the 2016-17 season, although he didn’t make an appearance for Liverpool’s first team.
The club offered their condolences by saying: “Liverpool FC is deeply saddened by the passing of former goalkeeper Alex Manninger at the age of 48. The thoughts of everyone at LFC are with Alex’s family and friends at this difficult time.”
Manninger also played for Juventus and earned 33 caps for his country. Tributes are also flooding in from across Europe.
Red Bull Salzburg, for whom Manninger enjoyed two spells playing, posted: “We mourn our former goalkeeper Alexander Manninger, who tragically lost his life in a traffic accident. Our thoughts are with his family and friends. Rest in peace, Alexander.”
Juventus said, “Today is a terribly sad day. He has left us not only as a great athlete, but as a man of rare values: humility, dedication, and an extraordinary professional seriousness. Juventus expresses its condolences for the passing of Alex Manninger and stands with the family in this moment of grief.”
Another tribute reads: “Fiorentina mourns the sudden passing of Alex Manninger, the Viola goalkeeper in the 2001-2002 season, who had a long career in Italy and as the Austrian national team’s goalkeeper. The entire club joins his family in this moment of profound grief.”
Italian giants Napoli added: “President Aurelio De Laurentiis and all of SSC Napoli join in the mourning for the passing of Alexander Manninger, the goalkeeper who starred in a prestigious career in Italian and European football.”
Just this month, Manninger revealed that he regretted leaving Arsenal ‘too soon’, having been desperate to play more regular football. He told Italian newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport: “It makes me emotional just thinking about it.
“I was 20, a kid. [Arsene] Wenger wanted to bring an international dimension to the club and focus on young players.
I was one of them. Arsene even introduced a training camp, which was unusual for the Premier League at the time.
“I have to say that, despite my age, I felt comfortable with the goal. Up front, I had a giant like Tony Adams. He taught me so much. I only have one regret: leaving too soon. But you know, I wanted to play.”
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