Pep Guardiola has aimed another barb at Liverpool, questioning why their spending and sponsorship deals – and that of Manchester United – are judged differently to Man City.
The Spanish manager created headlines on Sunday when he blasted the favouritism he feels Liverpool enjoy, telling beIN Sports unprompted: ‘Everyone in this country supports Liverpool, the media and everyone.’
He also threw in a dig at Liverpool saying: ‘They have an incredible history behind them in European competitions. Not in the Premier League, because they’ve won one in 30 years.’
Fresh from sealing a £51m deal for Erling Haaland – though agents’ fees, bonuses and wages will take the actual fee higher – Guardiola has now switched his ire to the spending of his rival teams, which he feels is treated and perceived differently to that of City.
Asked why he feels there is a degree of snobbery attached to City’s spending, Guardiola told Sky Sports: ‘Listen, Liverpool in the 1970s or 80s, or United with Sir Alex Ferguson – who spent more money?
‘Who spent more money? It was Norwich? Norwich spent more money in that period?
‘Or what other teams… Leicester? Leicester spent more money than them? No. They spent more money than the other ones. But the money from them is completely different than now.’
Asked why that is, he replied: ‘I’ve said I’m not going to change that [perception]. ‘When we put here [on the front of our shirts] Etihad, people say, “Oh it’s overpaid”. But now United and Liverpool are going to get paid maybe more than us, because maybe deserved because they are working well, because the CEO negotiated well, whatever happened.
‘They get more and because it’s from the United States of America or another country – or the owners are – so now its perfect.
‘So that’s why it’s not going to change, for a long time it’s not going to change, that is the reality. The only way we can change is doing well on the pitch.’
