We’re united over this tour shambles
JOSE MOURINHO and Pep Guardiola set aside their traditional rivalry ahead of tonight’s first overseas Manchester derby here to vent their frustrations over a Chinese tour that has turned into something of a shambles.
Scoring psychological points ahead of the new season was not on the agenda but the wisdom or otherwise of these demanding tours – from a footballing point of view – was right at the top of their list.
Mourinho and Guardiola are renowned for their meticulous training methods but the amount of travelling, demands from sponsors, fans and media, poor training pitches, not to mention the searing heat and energy-sapping humidity, combine to work against proper pre-season preparation.
They are well aware from their previous clubs that “pushing the brand” is the price on the ticket when you manage at Europe’s top table these days, especially when the two Manchester clubs are battling for territorial rights in this vast footballmad country.
But that could not stop their patience and diplomatic skills being pushed to the limit yesterday when neither team could train at the Bird’s Nest Stadium because of the poor condition of the pitch following the torrential rain that has caused serious flooding in some parts of China.
The match is still expected to go ahead but with Mourinho and Guardiola both worried about injuries to players on a surface that is likely to cut up badly.
But it will be played out with the friendly rivalry the pair share as they say there will be no lingering animosity from their battles in La Liga.
Mourinho was dismissive when asked if he would shake Guardiola’s hand.
“To qualify the question I would use some impolite words,” he said. “Of course, I will shake his hand. Why shouldn’t we shake hands? I don’t understand the question to him and I don’t understand the question to myself. We worked together in Barcelona for three years, we were opponents at other clubs but we are just professionals and we have a normal relationship.”
Both clubs were unhappy with the sauna-like conditions in the room set up for the pre-match press conferences yesterday.
Guardiola had to ask for a towel to mop his brow as he fielded questions. Later in the day, United’s media and security staff refused to allow Mourinho into the room and instead he held his press conference outside on the side of the pitch. City have also complained that some of the rooms in their hotel have smelt of smoke.
Another blow for the International Champions Cup organisers is that the game is unlikely to be a sell-out with local fans unhappy at the price of tickets that range from £60 to £300. Even though the stadium’s 80,000 capacity has been cut to 60,000 for the game, only 50,000 tickets have been sold.
Asked if there are any positives of being in China, Mourinho was more diplomatic, saying: “The fans. The commercial activity is very important for our club and we have to do it. We try to do it in the best organised way but sometimes they are some factors you cannot control. Tomorrow is the last day and then it’s over.
“We can go back to Manchester, start training with the whole group and play Galatasaray and Everton before we play Leicester in the Community Shield and try to be in the best possible condition for the Premier League.” Like Mourinho, Guardiola looked irked when asked about shaking hands with his rival.
“It’s a friendly game. A really friendly game. Will I shake Jose’s hand? Of course,” he said. “We are polite guys. Why not? Why should he not shake my hand? No reason why. He wants to win, I want to win, that’s all. That’s not the important thing.”
Guardilola expects United to be a better team under the Portuguese’s command.
“I saw United’s game against Borussia Dortmund in Shanghai on Friday and that’s all,” he said. “It’s too early to know how United will be. But I’m pretty sure they will be stronger than the last years. With this manager and the players they already have – I’m sure they are going to buy new players – they will be strong.”
So the managers were singing from the same song sheet yesterday while their teams will shadow box on a treacherous pitch tonight. We will have to wait for the season to start for the gloves to come off.