Jose Mourinho has revealed that he would love to ask Pep Guardiola a question.
Considering Mourinho and Guardiola had an infamous rivalry during their spells at Real Madrid and Barcelona respectively, one wonders what their relationship is like today.
A few months ago, the Portuguese manager said that he holds no grudges with any coach he has gone toe-to-toe with in an interview with FIVE’s official YouTube channel.
Jose Mourinho merely mentioned that considering Real Madrid faced Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona across all competitions on several occasions, the enmity between them was natural.
However, Mourinho felt that was also due to the two clubs being fierce rivals as well rather than him having any kind of personal vendetta against Guardiola.
The pair were reunited with each other in English football as well.
Mourinho says he’d ask Guardiola one question if he was a journalist
At first, there was an excitement around Pep Guardiola and Jose Mourinho managing both Manchester clubs.
Much like in Spain, the legendary coaches were managing rival clubs again.
This time around, it was set to be a local rivalry as well.
However, while Pep Guardiola turned Manchester City into one of the best club sides of the modern era, Jose Mourinho had a forgettable spell at Manchester United.
When Mourinho went on to manage Tottenham Hotspur, it was pondered whether he could push the City juggernaut to the top.
But that was not the case, with the ex-Roma boss not getting a chance to manage Spurs in the Carabao Cup final against the Sky Blues as well as he was sacked before the game.
In an interview with The Telegraph, Jose Mourinho stated that if he was a journalist, he would ask Pep Guardiola why he plays as many centre-backs as he does nowadays.
“Look to Manchester City, look to Arsenal, just to give two examples. How many central defenders do they have in the team? Sometimes they have six. As a matter of principle. Then they play in other positions. They play right-back, left-back, they play midfield. But they play with five or six central defenders on the pitch. Why? If I am a journalist, I would ask the manager.”
“They feel the need for defensive stability and a defensive compactness.”
Mourinho concluded, “The way to look at it is thinking how many Champions League years Man City were not successful and the difference in the season they were successful. And I go immediately in one direction, look at the physicality.”
Jose Mourinho is correct
In our view, Jose Mourinho is right to emphasise that tacticians like Pep Guardiola should be quizzed about why they make such tactical decisions.
One could argue that in a sense, Guardiola took a leaf out of Mourinho’s book by being perhaps the most defensively aware he has ever been last season.
As the ex-Chelsea boss pointed out, City’s defensive solidity and physicality helped them finally break their Champions League hoodoo.
In the past, the Sky Blues were far too open at the back defensively, which was exploited by the likes of Lyon, AS Monaco and Tottenham.
Perhaps one day, Pep Guardiola and Jose Mourinho will have a sit-down and talk tactics; a conversation the world would love to be privy to.