Guardiola: We have nothing to say sorry for over derby fracas
Manager encouraged City to celebrate victory Mourinho accuses rivals of showing a lack of class
The bad blood from Sunday’s Manchester derby was still simmering yesterday as Jose Mourinho reacted to Pep Guardiola’s defence of City’s post-match celebrations by accusing his rivals of a lack of class and respect for their part in the Old Trafford tunnel bust-up.
Guardiola was adamant his team did not have anything to be sorry for but said he “apologised to all of Manchester United” if they took offence to the dressing-room celebrations that prompted Mourinho to confront City players and spark a huge melee in the wake of the Premier League leaders’ 2-1 victory.
But in a critique that will raise eyebrows at City given Mourinho’s long history of provocation and insolence, the United manager questioned the “behaviour” and “education” of Guardiola’s players and staff after taking exception to what he felt were excessive and antagonistic celebrations. In a tetchy seven-minute press conference cut short before Mourinho rounded on reporters, the Portuguese also insisted that his players had behaved correctly, demanded proof that Romelu Lukaku, one of the alleged aggressors, had done anything wrong and ridiculed a journalist for raising the prospect of the Football Association punishing United.
“He says, he says,” Mourinho said in response to Guardiola’s claims that City had not overstepped the mark. “I am not here to comment on his words. The only thing I can say is that, for me, it was just a question of diversity. Diversity in behaviour, diversity in education. Just that. And nothing more than that. Diversity of behaviour, of opinion, of education.”
Asked if that diversity related to his contrasting belief that City’s celebrations were not acceptable, Mourinho added: “Yes, exactly. What we did in the Arsenal stadium [after a 3-1 win], you know? It was completely diverse. What we did, what happened after that match, the way we behaved as winners.”
United and City have until 6pm today to respond to the FA request to provide their accounts of alleged skirmishes in which Mikel Arteta, one of Guardiola’s assistants, suffered a cut to the head and Mourinho had milk and water thrown in his direction after an expletivestrewn exchange with City players.
Spanish radio reports had accused Lukaku of throwing a plastic water bottle that cut Arteta and, asked if he wanted to defend the Belgian, Mourinho replied tersely: “No. Accuse? Prove? Show evidence and punish him.” Was he confident his players had behaved in the right way? “I know [they did],” Mourinho said. “I am not confident. I know.” When the prospect of FA punishment was floated by a BBC reporter, Mourinho interjected. “May punish who? Why?” he said. “I think you work for another club and not for the press.”
When the media conference was brought to a halt by a press officer, Mourinho said “OK, bye… bye” as he got up to leave but then stopped at the door and took fire at the reporters present for not asking about Bournemouth, United’s opponents at Old Trafford tonight. “You don’t like Bournemouth, hey? You don’t respect them?” he asked. “You don’t think they are a team capable of coming to Old Trafford and doing well? No respect for Eddie Howe? No respect for the players?”
The mood had been more cordial at Guardiola’s press conference when the Catalan decided against an initial plan to read out a short statement about the tunnel fracas to take questions from reporters.
He said he had encouraged his players to celebrate but made repeated, pointed references to how those celebrations took place inside the City dressing room and were not untoward.
Asked if they were over the top, Guardiola said: “No, definitely not. Believe me, definitely not. We won a derby against Manchester United – at the moment the biggest rival we have to win it [the title]. So, people expect we are not going to celebrate? No. We celebrate. When United win a derby, they celebrate, when Arsenal win against United, they celebrate. But where? Inside the locker room. That’s what we do and we did. I am the guy who encouraged them to celebrate in that moment, but between each other.”
Guardiola said he hoped there would be no repeat of the melee.
“What happened in the locker room happened, hopefully it is never going to happen again,” he said. “If we were not correct, then I apologise to all of Manchester United. Our intentions were not that. If we offended Manchester United, then I apologise.”