Pep Guardiola hit back at Manchester City’s ‘whispering’ Premier League rivals on Tuesday afternoon in the wake of their successful appeal against their two-year Champions League ban.
In a heated press conference dominated by Monday’s verdict from the Court of Arbitration for Sport, Guardiola insisted that City deserve apologies after receiving “no presumption of innocence” from other clubs.
Guardiola was speaking shortly after both Jurgen Klopp and Jose Mourinho questioned the CAS verdict, describing the panel’s decision as “not a good day for football” and “disgraceful” respectively.
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“It would be nice [for people to stop criticising], but I don’t think so,” said Guardiola.
“What happened in the last years, how many people came whispering on us. I would love to say, look in our eyes and say something face to face and go out onto the pitch and play as rivals and after if you beat us, we will shake hands and congratulate them. They lost off the pitch. They have to go on the pitch and beat us, that’s sport.
“We can play in the Champions League next season because what we have done is right, is proper.”
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