Pep Guardiola has rejected Fabio Capello’s claim that he is “arrogant”, saying Manchester City’s success under his management has helped raise the standard of the Premier League.
Capello, the former England, AC Milan and Real Madrid coach, told Spanish newspaper El Mundo this week that Guardiola’s “arrogance has cost him several Champions League titles”.
The 78-year-old Italian also said Guardiola was “too arrogant and presumptuous” because he wanted to prove his tactics were the reason behind Manchester City’s achievements.
Capello added that Guardiola had “ruined” Italian football. He said this was because many coaches in Italy tried to copy Guardiola’s passing style, even though they did not have players good enough to play that way.
But Guardiola is proud of what he has done at City. Since joining the club in 2016, he has won six Premier League titles and helped City lift their first Champions League trophy.
The Spanish manager believes the Premier League has become stronger during his time in England. He said City now face tougher competition from several teams, including Brighton, who they play on Saturday, as they aim to finish in the top four this season.
City have struggled at times this season after winning the previous four Premier League titles. They are currently fifth in the table.
Speaking about Capello’s comments, Guardiola said:
“When one of the big managers, one of the great managers like Fabio Capello, says something like that… I wouldn’t call it arrogant. I think we have helped raise the level in the Premier League.
“Teams had to go and buy better players. Clubs are well organised now, they make smart decisions, and they have quality players everywhere.
“When I first came here, I went to places like Bournemouth, Brighton and Fulham – they were very different then. Now they are strong teams. I’ve been here nine years, I’m the oldest manager in the league, and I have seen how much the Premier League has improved. It’s incredible. It’s really good for the league.”
Capello also claimed Guardiola made mistakes in big games because he “always wanted to be the main character”. He said Guardiola made changes to his line-ups or tactics that ended up costing his team.
This is not the first time Guardiola and Capello have disagreed. More than 20 years ago, Guardiola played under Capello at Roma. Their football ideas clashed, and Capello often left him out of the team.
When asked directly about Capello’s latest comments, Guardiola replied with a smile:
“I listen to everything people say about me. So be careful!
“This isn’t the first time Mr Fabio Capello has said something like this. I’m not important enough to ruin Italian football – that’s a big statement.
“A big hug to Fabio.”
