“I understand why they hate Us” — Pep Guardiola

Manchester City vs. Liverpool is set to be the showdown of the season, and ahead of the Saturday lunch time kickoff, City boss, Pep Guardiola opened up about a plethora of topics facing the Cityzens amongst rival fans and rival clubs.

Speaking in reaction to the 10-point deduction of Everton by the premier league, the former Barcelona boss insisted on Manchester City’s innocence in relation to the 115 charges brought against them by the league.

According to Pep Guardiola, he admits he understand why the rest of the league hold a grudge against City and to a stretch would want the Champions Of Europe relegated from the division. However, the Spaniard maintains that until the premier league can prove otherwise, Manchester City remain innocent to whatever charges they are being investigated on.

“We are 𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐭 until it’s proven as my view the 115 charges against City hasn’t changed” he maintains.

“It’s the lawyers to make the defense in front of the judge,” Guardiola asserted, reiterating his patience in awaiting the resolutions while refraining from prematurely reacting to speculation or drawing parallels between different cases.

“Everton? Two completely different cases. I won’t comment Everton case but lawyers told me it’s different. I know people are saying: why don’t Man City go to the Conference League? They want that, yes… I feel that people want Man City to be punished. But at the moment we are innocent, again”

“You’re questioning me like we have been punished. Now, we’re innocent. We’re innocent until proven…”

Speaking of the challenge their opponent, Liverpool poses to them ahead of their clash tomorrow, the seasoned manager didn’t shy away from acknowledging Liverpool as City’s prime rivals in recent years, asserting that while the historical rivalry between Barcelona and Real Madrid was iconic, Manchester City had not been a significant contender comparable to Liverpool in the past decades.

Pep Guardiola praised the competitive edge between City and Liverpool over the past decade, acknowledging the significance of their ongoing rivalry, indicating the clubs’ sustained competitiveness as a testament to their quality.

“It’s different. If you compare it to Barcelona vs Real Madrid, Man City was never in the past 20 to 30 years a contender like Liverpool,”

Pep Guardiola explained, underlining the shift in dynamics in English football, acknowledging Liverpool’s status as formidable adversaries in recent years.

“But in the last decade, since I’ve been here, Liverpool have been our best rivals.

“This is the reality and of course, we are still there. That’s a big compliment to both Man City and Liverpool. After many, many years we are still there.”