"He'll leave and they'll get someone else" - Jose Mourinho makes claim about Manchester City after Pep Guardiola's comments about €80m star
AS Roma boss Jose Mourinho has spoken up about Pep Guardiola's comments where he discussed the situation of Manchester City midfielder Kalvin Phillips. The Portuguese manager bemoaned his side's lack of financial muscle when he spoke on the situation, highlighting the constraint his side faces.
Manchester City have spent very heavily since the arrival of Sheikh Mansour in 2008, and their investment has yielded a great deal of returns. They won the treble last season, becoming the second English side to achieve the feat after Manchester United in 1999. They have also won three successive league titles and five in the last six seasons.
Meanwhile, Kalvin Phillips joined Manchester City for £50 million after his displays for Leeds United impressed Pep Guardiola. But the midfielder appears set to leave the club, having made just 30 appearances for the club so far. The England international failed to make an impression on the manager, who has expressed his regret at the situation, claiming it's out of his hands.
Jose Mourinho spoke in his press conference about the kind of financial backing his former rival Guardiola has received at the Etihad Stadium. He compared it to his situation in Rome, where he revealed the difficulty in signing even one player for the Giallorossi.
He said:
“Not that I'm jealous, but Man City paid €80 million for Kalvin Phillips and now Pep has said it would be better for him to leave...
“So he’ll leave and they'll get someone else. Our reality is very different. It’s not easy for us to sign one player!”.
Pep Guardiola has hardly given Phillips a chance to nail down a regular starting berth, with the manager often tinkering with his system. The 28-year-old is, as a result, far behind in the pecking order, with Rodri, John Stones and Rico Lewis preferred ahead of him.
Jose Mourinho, Pep Guardiola among greatest 21st century managers
Among football managers of the 21st century, only a few can speak up where Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola are, as they are among the best of their era. Both managers are richly decorated and have worked with the biggest teams in Europe, winning titles everywhere.
Mourinho has won 26 major trophies in his career as a manager, while Guardiola has won 10 more. The Portuguese manager has won the treble once, while his counterpart has managed it twice. They have each won the UEFA Champions League with two different clubs.
The Mourinho and Guardiola rivalry was at its most intense when they were Real Madrid and Barcelona managers respectively. They have met 24 times in their career, with Guardiola claiming 10 wins and Mourinho seven.
These days, Jose Mourinho works in Italy with AS Roma and their modest budget, while Guardiola has the riches of Manchester City at his disposal. Both men changed the face of football in this age and will be remembered for their great achievements.