Pep hits out at Liverpool, United

MANCHESTER. – Pep Guardiola has aimed another dig at Liverpool as he hit out at how his club’s spending and their sponsorship deals are treated differently to those of the Anfield club and Manchester United.

Guardiola stepped up the mind games in the Premier League run-in when he claimed everyone in the country wants Liverpool to lift the title.

The prickly Spaniard also made a jibe about Liverpool’s record in the Premier League when he said: “They have an incredible history behind them in European competitions. Not in the Premier League, because they’ve won one in 30 years.” Now Guardiola has taken aim at the treatment of his club when it comes to their transfer fees and lucrative sponsorship agreements.

“Listen, Liverpool in the 1970s or 80s, or United with Sir Alex Ferguson – who spent more money?” Guardiola told Sky Sports.

“Who spent more money? It was Norwich? Norwich spent more money in that period?

“Or what other teams… Leicester? Leicester spent more money than them? No. They spent more money than the other ones. But the money from them is completely different than now.”

The club’s dealings with sponsors based in their owners’ homeland of Abu Dhabi have also been the subject of significant scrutiny.

City’s agreement with the Etihad airline is thought to be worth £67,5m a year.

Liverpool have an £80m-a-year deal with Standard Chartered, while United last March signed a £235m, five-year contract with TeamViewer. “I’ve said I’m not going to change that (perception),’ added Guardiola.

“When we put it here [on the front of our shirts] Etihad, people say, ‘Oh it’s overpaid.’

“But now United and Liverpool are going to get paid maybe more than us, because maybe (it’s) deserved because they are working well, because the CEO negotiated well, whatever happened.

“They get more and because it’s from the United States of America or another country – or the owners are – so now it’s perfect.”