PEP GUARDIOLA and Jose Mourinho spiced up their Saturday night showdown — with a row over Raheem Sterling’s England withdrawal.
Tottenham boss Mourinho lit the fuse yesterday by claiming Manchester City pressured Three Lions boss Gareth Southgate to let Sterling miss this month’s internationals.
Man City chief Pep Guardiola has suggested Spurs chief Jose Mourinho was behaving like he thinks he’s a doctor in his comments over Raheem Sterling
Pep Guardiola will pick Raheem Sterling against Spurs despite the frontman missing England duty,, Tottenham manager Jose Mourinho claimsCredit: Reuters
City said Sterling had a calf injury but he trained yesterday and Mourinho expects the forward to line up against his Spurs team.
But Guardiola hit back: “Maybe Mourinho is a doctor, I don’t know.
“He has to speak to the England national team doctor and the doctor for Manchester City.”
Guardiola was then asked about Spurs boss Mourinho’s comments earlier in the year that City players tend to go to ground easily.
He replied: “Listen, I’m not going to answer anything about Jose.
“I spoke about the doctor because he accused us of something that is not true.
“You have to speak to the doctors about these other things, don’t ask me. I’m almost 50. I’m old enough to understand.”
Sterling also missed the October internationals with a hamstring issue — then scored the winner against Arsenal in the first game back.
Mourinho wants Southgate to name and shame the top-flight bosses who have tried to stop their players representing their country.
He said: “Of course we all know Sterling is going to play for City against us.
“When Eric Dier left the national team injured in the past month, he didn’t play two matches for Tottenham.
Pep Guardiola refused to respond to rival manager Jose Mourinho’s comments that Man City players go down too easilyCredit: EPA
“He didn’t play the Premier League match and the Europa League match.
“He needed a couple of weeks to recover. And Raheem is going to play.
“These are the little details that I think Gareth should explain to us all.
“Gareth, I read, supposedly told that some club managers put pressure on the players not to play for the national team.
“And because of that he feels sometimes the need to call club managers to cool down the emotions and control a difficult situation for him.
“I’d like him to say who. I’d like him to say which are the coaches who put pressure on the players not to play.
A national team match should never be a dead rubber. The only problem for me is it should be the same for everybody, not just for some.
Jose Mourinho
“And I would like him to say which are the coaches that he calls and speaks on the phone with them. He has the right, the power to call the players he wants.
“He wants to win matches, especially after a defeat the next match — even being a dead rubber — is an important match. I sympathise totally with that.”
Mourinho was asked if he would be particularly frustrated if Sterling got the winner when he has spent the last two weeks not playing.
He said: “I think that question is not for me. I think you have to wait until March and ask that question to the person you have to ask.”
While Sterling was back at City, Tottenham striker Harry Kane played all of England’s 2-0 defeat in Belgium and 76 minutes of the 4-0 win over Iceland.
Mourinho said: “I’m OK with that. A national team match should never be a dead rubber.
“The only problem for me is it should be the same for everybody, not just for some.”
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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
