Manchester Metropolis boss Pep Guardiola reiterated that “everyone seems to be harmless till confirmed responsible” as he responded to feedback from Jose Mourinho about profitable “cleanly and pretty”.

In the direction of the tip of Sunday’s 2-0 loss at Liverpool, Guardiola was subjected to chants that he could be “sacked within the morning” from Reds followers and responded by holding up six fingers, to signify the variety of Premier League titles he has received with Metropolis.

Two days later, when was requested about former Chelsea boss Mourinho holding up three fingers earlier than being axed by Manchester United in 2018, he mentioned: “I hope not in my case. Perhaps ultimately we’re fairly related, (and I’m) like Jose. However he received three, I received six.”

Mourinho, now in cost at Fenerbahce, on Friday was quoted by Turkey’s Sporx as saying: “I need to win, however I need to win cleanly and pretty. He (Guardiola) received six trophies and I received three, however I received honest and clear. If I misplaced, I need to congratulate my opponent for being higher than me. I don’t need to win by coping with 150 instances.”

Metropolis have been charged with 115 alleged breaches of top-flight monetary guidelines in February 2023, and with failing to co-operate with the following investigation. The membership have denied the costs and an end result is predicted subsequent 12 months.

Requested about Mourinho’s remarks at his pre-match press convention forward of Saturday’s journey to Crystal Palace, Guardiola mentioned: “It was a joke. However he’s one other one within the enormous checklist that they need the group being in, I don’t know, League One or the Convention.

“I might say to Jose the identical – we’re harmless till confirmed responsible, and after that we are going to see what occurs. It’s what it’s. It was utterly a joke.

“I believe each with our groups, him with Chelsea, myself with Man Metropolis, we will sit on the desk with Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger (who received 13 league titles with United and three with Arsenal respectively), proper? For the various, many titles we received.

“If I’ve offended him (Mourinho) I’m so sorry, nevertheless it was a joke. The very fact is he has three and I’ve six. It is a reality. However the intention was utterly superb.

“It’s one other one from the massive checklist on this nation and extra around the globe that need us on the backside.

“It’s OK, it’s superb. I’ve mentioned many instances anticipate the sentence and everybody, particularly in democracy, is harmless till confirmed responsible. Proper? So we’ll wait, and after we’ll see.”

In addition to the six league titles, Metropolis’s haul of silverware since Guardiola took cost in 2016 consists of two FA Cups and 4 League Cups, and he has additionally overseen them profitable the Champions League, Tremendous Cup and Membership World Cup.

Guardiola was requested if he had ever envisaged it being nearly as good because it has been when he arrived on the membership, and the previous Barcelona and Bayern Munich head coach mentioned: “No. I bear in mind many individuals say ‘he wins as a result of it’s Barcelona with Leo Messi and the opposite ones’, I needed to show it in England. OK, we did it.”

The end result at Anfield was a sixth defeat in a seven-game winless run for Metropolis, and fourth league loss in a row – a sequence they then ended with Wednesday’s 3-0 dwelling victory over Nottingham Forest.

The champions at present lie fourth, 9 factors behind Arne Slot’s leaders Liverpool, and Guardiola mentioned: “We broke that unhealthy run. All the time it’s not straightforward if you don’t win for a very long time, and now you break it and we now have to attempt to proceed with the gamers, the spirit we present, and we’ll see what occurs.”

The final two matches have seen Stefan Ortega play in purpose, with Ederson on the bench, and requested what the latter needed to do to get again within the group, Guardiola mentioned: “He wants the supervisor to pick him. That is what he wants, it’s easy.”