Coaching is not better than sex – Guardiola

PEP GUARDIOLA has put the record straight – coaching is not better than sex.

The Manchester City manager went viral on social media yesterday after he was asked at a press conference for his reaction to purported comments from Dani Alves.

Guardiola was told Alves, one of the stars of Guardiola’s twotime Champions League-winning Barcelona team, had claimed being coached by the Catalan was “better than sex”.

“I prefer the sex – by far!” Guardiola joked.

The question actually appeared to be a misrepresentation of something Alves said in an interview for a new documentary about Guardiola’s Barcelona era, in which they captured Champions League titles in 2009 and 2011.

During the film ‘Take the Ball, Pass the Ball’, the Brazilian was referring to Barca’s late winner against Chelsea in the 2009 semifinals when he said: “It is because of moments like this that we all love football. The only thing that beats it is sex.”

Guardiola (below) went on to argue that not every player liked his management style, using the example of Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

The outspoken striker lasted just one season at Barcelona after joining from Inter Milan and has not been shy of voicing his opinions since. Guardiola added: “I can see a huge list who are on the opposite side – a list where they love me a lot, like Dani. “Normally it happens when people don’t play regularly they are not big fans. We try to convince them – sometimes yes, sometimes no,” said Guardiola.

Meanwhile, Raheem Sterling has signed a new contract tying him to Manchester City until 2023. The new deal is worth a potential £300,000-a-week, though only if the 23-yearold meets a series of bonus clauses, which include winning the Ballon d’Or.