PEP GUARDIOLA vowed to confront rival Jurgen Klopp and told him to check his calendar after he claimed Manchester City had a two-week break.
The Liverpool boss apparently got his dates mixed up ahead of their Anfield meeting of the two most-recent champions on Sunday.
Pep Guardiola said he will confront Jurgen Klopp over his false comments concerning Manchester City’s ‘two-week’ breakCredit: Times Newspapers Ltd
City were forced to postpone their game against Everton on December 28 due to a Covid outbreak in their first-team bubble.
They played against Newcastle on Boxing Day and then travelled to London to face Chelsea on January 3.
That means they had seven clear days between the matches – but still a long way short of the fortnight that Klopp suggested.
While discussing the Reds’ weary midweek performance against Brighton, the German said: “We didn’t have a break – I think City had a two-week break for Covid reasons.
“It’s really tough. It’s a tough season, I know for some teams it looks less. For us obviously for the reasons you know it is tough. That’s why I said it.”
Yet Guardiola was clearly unhappy when he faced the media soon afterwards – saying he did not think Klopp was ‘that kind of manager’.
He said: “On Sunday when I see Jurgen I’ll say to him: how many weeks or days were we off?
“I’m not irritated. I didn’t expect it. Not from him.
FRIDAY NIGHT POKER: Play TONIGHT at 8pm to win a share of $5,500
“He knows it’s not true, come on! Nobody in the Premier League has had two weeks off! Everyone knows it.
“Some of the managers do it on purpose but I didn’t expect he would do it.
“I thought he’s not that type of guy, but if he did it: okay. Welcome. Maybe I was wrong.”
Guardiola added sarcastically: “He made a mistake, it was two months off, or three months off? No, it was four. Four months off.
“That’s why we are in top form right now. Jurgen has to see the calendar again. We had Covid, we have one week and then we played with 14 players at Stamford Bridge.
GIVE IT A BREAK
“Maybe I’m wrong and it was not two weeks, it was three or four weeks.
“But maybe it was a misunderstanding from him. If he sees the calendar again he will realise it was not two weeks, it was two months.”
Klopp’s comments about tiredness overlook the fact City had a summer break of only 37 days – 11 fewer than Liverpool.
And unlike the Reds, City are still in both domestic cups – which has only added to their workload.
Asked about that, Guardiola said: “Of course forgot it. We didn’t forget it, but they did of course.
“It was a challenge, we never thought it was easy.”
Jurgen Klopp clashes with Burnley’s Sean Dyche in tunnel following off-the-ball Fabinho clash
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
