Jose Mourinho took a swipe at Pep Guardiola telling that he would have more trophies to his credit had he stayed with some of his clubs for a little longer than he did.
While speaking to L’Equipe, the Portuguese coach, who has been without a job since being sacked by Manchester United in December 2018, reflected on the current ongoings at Paris Saint-Germain, the two Champions League finalists as well as Pep Guardiola.
Pep Guardiola has now overtaken Jose Mourinho in trophies won as a manager:
Pep Guardiola: 2⃣6⃣
Jose Mourinho: 2⃣5⃣#ManCity pic.twitter.com/uDWZfGSQyV— Superbia Proelia (@SuperbiaProeIia) May 12, 2019
The 56-year-old was asked about taking over at PSG, as well as why the club has failed in Europe.
“It is impossible (to become PSG coach). You cannot manage a club who has a coach. You will have to ask me about a club with an open position,” he said.
“It is a club with an international dimension, with players who are at a world class level.
“They have not yet won at the European level and that is very important,” the former Chelsea and Real Madrid manager told.
“It is the same thing that I say for the managers: you can have a lot of qualities, but if you come to the end of your career and you have not won anything in Europe, then there will always be something missing.
“Now PSG are in this phase: winning all the time in France, like Juventus or Bayern Munich. They are the leaders of French football, but sit just behind Europe’s biggest clubs.”
When asked about PSG’s Champions League elimination at the hands of his former club Manchester United, Mourinho was reluctant o speak.
“I do not want to offer an explanation. I think I know the reasons why but I will not make all of my analysis public.
“About Manchester United, I do not want to talk about them and I have a feeling that I do not need to talk about them because time explains it all: no need for their ex-manager to talk about them.
“For Manchester United, this win was a bit out of context even if we won in Turin in the group stage,” he told.
Mourinho hailed his former rivals Jurgen Klopp and Mouricio Pochettino who have taken Liverpool and Tottenham to the Champions League final.
“I admire the work of Mauricio [Pochettino] and Jurgen [Klopp], both deserve to achieve something big, and there is nothing greater than holding this cup, but one of them will lose,” he stated.
“Jurgen will play his third final, I cannot imagine the feeling that it would be for him to play three finals and not win.”
On Pochettino, he said: “What has he won?”
Another coach with whom he has endured plenty of battles is Pep Guardiola, who recently claimed the Premier League title with Manchester City, taking his trophy haul to 26, one above the Portuguese.
“That reminds me that I’m here, with 25 titles. if I had stayed at Porto and Inter after winning the Champions League I would have played the European Super Cup, the national one, the Club World Cup and I could have 31 titles.
“Maybe I’m not concentrated in the numbers,” he stated.