 "Former friends Pep Guardiola and Mikel Arteta have become foes now. Image: Reuters")
A war of words has broken out between Manchester City manager Pe Guardiola and Arsenal coach Mikel Arteta. After a fiery 2-2- draw between the two teams in the Premier League on last Sunday, people expected the two sides to move on but that has not happened. After Arsenal were accused of using “dark arts” tactics during the match, Arteta has taken a veiled dig at Man City when the hearing into 115 alleged charges against the club including breaking the financial fair play rules is underway.
“I have been there before, I was there for four years. I have all the information. So I know. Believe me,” Arteta had said.
Guardiola questions Arteta’s comments
Guardiola was furious with Arteta’s comments and asked his former colleague to be “more clear” in what he meant by claiming that he had all the information.
“Next time, Mikel has to be more clear,” Guardiola said. “He has to be more clear exactly: what does it mean? He said he was here for four years and: ‘We know exactly what happened here.’ Because it can be related in all the process now with 155 [130] charges; maybe it’s about that. He knows information about that maybe … I don’t know, because really, next time, I have to see more clearly exactly what happened.”
Arteta worked under Guardiola at Man City from 2016 to 2019 before taking over as Arsenal’s head coach.
When suggested to Guardiola that Arteta may have intentionally kept his words vague, the Man City manager said: “Hopefully this question has been asked. He can answer exactly what does it mean when he said he was here and: ‘I know what’s happening here.’ And instead of being in the clouds there, to be more precise.”
Arteta ’loves’ Pep
It is to be noted that Arteta in his press conference also said that he “loves” Guardiola.
“I love him, I respect him, I admire him and I admire his team and everything that he does,” he said. “This is sport. One thing is our profession, another is our personal relationship."
“If our relationship was damaged because one draws and the other one wins or the amount of times that they’ve beaten us, I would not talk to him any more. So that’s not our relationship, especially the relationship that I consider both of us have. In sport it will never get in my way in a personal relationship. That’s for sure.”