José Mourinho and Josep Guardiola seem to be destined to fight each other for supremacy. Following Louis Van Gaal's sacking with Manchester United, the Portuguese boss is the frontrunner to become Manchester United's tactician, and if he ends up doing that, he will have the Catalan boss as his neighbour.
Ever since the Citizens revealed Pep Guardiola would be coaching them next season, a series of rumors started surrounding the former Chelsea boss, who had been recently sacked by the Blues. Now, with Van Gaal out of the equation, both of Manchester's teams will witness the "second round" of blows between the Portuguese tactician and the Catalan manager.
Guardiola and Mourinho having a word back in 1997, when Guardiola played for Los Culés and Mourinho worked as Bobby Robson's assistant.
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Mourinho's feud against Guardiola started back in 2010, when Inter and Barcelona clashed in the UEFA Champions League semi-finals. Mourinho's crew went on and eliminated Los Blaugranas with a 3-2 aggregate. That game proved the Portuguese tactician's credentials to compete against Barcelona, and ended up giving him the chance to join Real Madrid the following summer. When the game ended, Mourinho ran into the pitch claiming to be the best, which prompted Camp Nou's gardeners to turn on the sprinklers, in order to avoid the visitors' celebration.
Next year, when Mourinho coached Real Madrid, things took an ugly turn following a 5-0 blowout at Camp Nou. To make matters worse, the Spanish giants were forced to play against each other in the Champions League semi-finals. Mou's continuous taunts against Guardiola and his men forced the Catalan boss to angrily reply to the Portuguese tactician in a press conference that's remembered until today.
"Off the pitch he's won. He's been winning off the pitch all season. Let them give him a Champions League for it so he can enjoy it and take it home. In the press room he is the f***ing boss, and the one who knows more than everyone else," Guardiola stated back then. Barcelona would eventually eliminate Real Madrid and win their second UCL title under Guardiola.
One year later, Mourinho ended Barcelona's La Liga supremacy, winning the domestic title and breaking the 100-point mark. Mourinho's biggest accomplishment with Los Blancos was overshadowed by his behaviour off the pitch, where he even poked the late Tito Vilanova's eye during the first leg of the Spanish Super Cup. Pep Guardiola would eventually leave his position by the end of the season, which was considered by some as one more triumph for the Portuguese.
After Mourinho's departure, Barcelona has found it a bit harder to win trophies, but they still have the upper hand against their bitter rivals.
Statistically speaking, Guardiola has made the most out of his meetings against Mourinho. The Spanish boss has won seven out of the 15 games his teams have played against Mou's sides, drawing five and losing three. In those games, Guardiola's teams have scored 26 goals while conceding only sixteen.
All in all, the city of Manchester will be the stage for another battle between two of the best managers of our time. Will Guardiola's cool & calm style prevail, or will Mourinho's fiery temper will earn him success at Old Trafford at his itter rival's expense?
