Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola refuted suggestions from Samir Nasri that he bars his players from having sex after midnight, insisting it is "impossible" to perform on the field if you are not doing so in the bedroom.
Former France midfielder Nasri, who is currently on a season-long loan at Sevilla from City, caused a stir earlier this week when he told L'Equipe du Soir of Guardiola's nocturnal tactic to get the best out of his stars.
"Relations must be before midnight, even if you have a free day the following day," Nasri said. "It's so you can have a good night's sleep.
"He told us this is how he managed to get the best out of [Lionel] Messi and [Robert] Lewandowski, and for them to avoid the maximum number of muscular injuries."
Towards the end of a pre-match news conference for City's Premier League trip to Crystal Palace on Saturday, Guardiola was apparently disappointed that Nasri's comments had not been on the agenda, having discussed Vincent Kompany's fitness, John Stones' form and other comparatively mundane footballing matters.
"Samir Nasri about the sex, next question maybe?" he said, before claiming any attempts to label him as some sort of preventative prude were more off target than some of Sergio Aguero's penalties this season.
"It's impossible to play good football if you don't make sex with your partner. It's impossible," he smiled.
"Never, never will I do a ban. They have to do it. The more they do it... better players!"
Unlike the apparently virile Guardiola, Nasri's current boss Jorge Sampaoli was not willing to offer himself up as a person of romantic expertise.
"I do not get involved in these matters," he told reporters ahead Sevilla's LaLiga match at Deportivo on Saturday.
"I am not a specialist in that. Everyone is different, from one player to the other.
"I will not advise them on that. Each player knows what to do in their own life to make sure his body is fine for the game."
