Guardiola stuns press with Mourinho rant
Reuters - Tuesday 26 April 2011, 20:26
MADRID - Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola
abandoned his customary restraint and lashed back at his Real
Madrid counterpart Jose Mourinho on the eve of the Spanish
giants' Champions League semi-final first leg at the Bernabeu.
Mourinho had criticised Guardiola at an earlier news
conference on Tuesday for comments attributed to the Barca coach
about a refereeing decision in last week's King's Cup Final when
a Pedro effort for his team was ruled out for offside.
GEAR: Save 10% on Champions League shirts with Kitbag. Free delivery on orders over £50
Guardiola responded by telling reporters he had been
misinterpreted and he was not going to be drawn into what he
called Mourinho's game of "constant insinuation".
His colourful language drew murmurs from the stunned
journalists as he laid into the Portuguese, who was an assistant
Barca coach when Guardiola was a player there in the 1990s, in
an uncharacteristically emotional outburst.
"Because Mr Mourinho used my name directly I will do the
same," he said.
"We worked together for four years. He knows me and I know
him and that's what I will remember and focus on.
"It leaves a bad taste when someone you have worked with
believes what he reads rather than you.
"If you think I complain about referees then great, there is
nothing I can do."
CONTINUAL INSINUATIONS
Mourinho knocked Barca out of last season's Champions League
when he was coach of eventual winners Inter Milan and his wild
celebrations after the second leg at the Nou Camp, when he
charged across the pitch to salute the travelling support,
incensed the home players and fans.
His first match against Barca as Real coach in November
ended in a 5-0 thrashing for the Madrid club but he has since
regained the upper hand with a dramatic King's Cup final win
over Guardiola's side last week.
The Barca coach said he and his players would do their
talking on the pitch on Wednesday.
"Tomorrow at 8.45 pm we will meet on the pitch - away from
it he (Mourinho) has already won," he said.
"I award him his own personal Champions League for that,
that he can take home and enjoy.
"We will simply go out on the pitch tomorrow and play our
game. He is a magician at this and I don't want to play at
making insinuations continually."
The return leg is on May 3 at the Nou Camp and the
successful team will play English Premier League leaders
Manchester United or Bundesliga side Schalke 04 in the final at
London's Wembley stadium on May 28.