The Star Malaysia

Sexy Pep talk

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Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola added a saucy touch to today’s derby against Manchester United by laughing off a suggestion his coaching is “better than sex” – a comment made by Paris St Germain defender Dani Alves, who played under Guardiola at Barcelona. A reporter asked Guardiola for his reaction, prompting the Spaniard to respond: “I prefer the sex – by far.” And to whet City’s appetite for goals against United, Red Devils boss Jose Mourinho admitted the Citizens are playing the sexiest football at the moment. “There is a quality of the work, of the organisati­on, I think that is untouchabl­e,” said Mourinho.

LONDON: Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has laughed off a suggestion his coaching is “better than sex”.

The comment was reportedly made by Paris St Germain defender Dani Alves, who is currently promoting a documentar­y about his time at Barcelona playing under Guardiola.

Before today’s English Premier League home match against Manchester United, a reporter asked Guardiola for his reaction at a press conference, prompting him to respond: “I prefer the sex – by far.”

The question may owe something to a mis- taken interpreta­tion of something Alves said in “Take the Ball, Pass the Ball”, a documentar­y looking at Guardiola’s time as Barcelona boss, which saw the Spanish club win the Champions League in both 2009 and 2011.

Brazilian star Alves, referring to Barcelona’s late winner against Chelsea in the 2009 semi-final, said: “It is because of moments like this that we all love football.

“The only thing that beats it is sex.” Alves is one of many players to have cited the City manager’s coaching methods as inspiratio­nal but Guardiola has played down such claims, making a passing reference to the struggles he had with former Sweden striker Zlatan Ibrahimovi­c when they were at Barcelona.

“I can see a huge list who are on the opposite side,” said Guardiola, whose City team are both the reigning English champions and the current Premier League leaders.

“There is a list where they love me a lot, like Dani.

“They have another side from Sweden and other places where they don’t like me too much.” — AFP

 ?? — AFP ?? He loves Pep: Paris St Germain defender Dani Alves with his wife Joana Sanz at the Best FIFA Football Awards ceremony. Alves has commented that Pep Guardiola’s coaching is ‘better than sex’.
— AFP He loves Pep: Paris St Germain defender Dani Alves with his wife Joana Sanz at the Best FIFA Football Awards ceremony. Alves has commented that Pep Guardiola’s coaching is ‘better than sex’.

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