Manchester City boss Josep Guardiola has repeatedly admitted privately that his successes at the Etihad would be more noticeable if he managed Manchester United.
The stunning revelation came after the Spaniard lashed out at his employers and City fans following their sensational comeback against Tottenham Hotspur on Thursday.
In the second half, Guardiola’s wards struggled to overcome the two-goal gap and eventually beat the Etihad winners 4-2.
After goals by Dejan Kulusevski and Emerson Royal in the first half, City went on a break to loud boos from the fans.
In the second half, the reborn City scored four goals thanks to Julian Alvarez, Erling Haaland and a double by Riyad Marez.
An enthusiastic Guardiola could not be contained during his post-match commitments to the media.
He criticized City fans for their reaction during the game and said he only heard Tottenham fans cheering on their team.
Guardiola remarked that perhaps everyone at the club has become too comfortable and complacent in their winning ways and in the era of success.
The 52-year-old called for a reaction not only from his players and club members, but also from the fans themselves.
According to Miguel Delaney, Guardiola had previously privately admitted that his achievements would have caused more hype and would have gained more significance if they had been achieved throughout the city.
Delaney reports: “It is known that Guardiola privately remarked how much more illustrious his successes would have been if they had been at Manchester United.
“During his time at City, there were many moments when he publicly struggled with the image of the club. He often talked about the fans, as he did on Thursday, and just as often compared City as a whole with such huge clubs as Barcelona and Bayern.
“Then the media themselves had a question why his Premier League champions were not praised more. At least in part it’s the same reason there was booing on Thursday, which he clearly didn’t like.”
