Barcelona boss Guardiola lets rip as Jose gets under his skin
Speaking earlier yesterday, Mourinho launched a stinging attack on Guardiola regarding comments the Barca coach was supposed to have made about certain refereeing decisions.
Mourinho, referring to an example following last week’s Copa del Rey final between Madrid and Barca regarding a disallowed Pedro Rodriguez goal for offside, said Guardiola had created a new group of coaches — one that criticises officials when they make correct decisions.
“Up until now we’ve had two groups of coaches,” said the Portuguese. “[There’s] a very small group who didn’t talk about referees. Then there’s a larger group, of which I’m included, of coaches that criticises referees when they make big mistakes.
“And with Pep’s statements we’ve come to a third group, which is a one-person group, who criticises good decisions made by the referee. I’ve never seen this before.”
Guardiola refused to take the comments lying down, though, and launched an angry response during his press conference last night.
The Barca coach said: “Tomorrow at 8.45 (7.45pm Irish time) we will meet each other on the pitch. Off the pitch he has already won.
“In this room (press room), he’s the f*****g chief, the f*****g man, the person who knows everything about the world and I don’t want to compete with him at all.
“It’s a type of game I’m not going to play because I don’t know how.
“I won’t justify my words. I congratulated Madrid for the cup that they won deservedly on the pitch and against a team that I represent and of which I feel very proud.”
He added: “Off the pitch, he has already won, as he has done all year.
“On the pitch, we’ll see what happens.”
Another reason for Guardiola losing his cool could be the fact that he will have to send his team out tonight without Andres Iniesta.
Suffering from a calf strain, key midfielder Iniesta joined his team-mates for the first 10 minutes of a workout at the Bernabeu yesterday before departing to undergo further treatment.
“Iniesta is 100% out,” Guardiola said of the 26-year-old.
In better news for Guardiola, captain Carles Puyol — who has missed the last two games with a hamstring injury — came through training unscathed and is likely to play.
At the same stage of last season’s Champions League, Mourinho helped Inter Milan knock out Barca, while last week’s 1-0 cup final triumph at the Mestalla saw Madrid pick up their first trophy in almost three years and ended a six-game run without a win over Barca.
However, with November’s 5-0 mauling at the Nou Camp — Mourinho’s heaviest defeat as a coach — still fresh in the memory, the Madrid boss was keen to temper expectations.
“I don’t have a magic potion to beat Barcelona,” he said. “I work very hard and very seriously, and I spend many hours trying to help the people around me, but a few months ago we lost 5-0 and I was also the manager then.
“We played a good match (against Barca) at the Bernabeu in the league and we also played a good match in Valencia, but tomorrow we are facing a top opponent with a top coach.”
Mourinho has already impressed on his side the importance of the adage ‘where there’s a will there’s a way’, though.
He said: “I told my players there was someone called Albert, Albert Einstein, who said that there is a force more powerful than steam, electricity and atomic energy — will.
“And this guy Albert was not stupid. With will you can achieve things,” he added.
Mourinho may have won the war of words but he knows Barcelona could yet win the biggest prize of all.
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