Pep Guardiola has hit back at criticism of Diego Simeone’s playing style ahead of Manchester City’s Champions League showdown with Atletico Madrid.
The defending Premier League champions host their LaLiga counterparts on Tuesday for the first leg of their quarter-final tie, in what some have billed as a clash of styles.
While Guardiola is known for his slow and patient build-up play, Simeone has forged Atletico into a more rigid, workmanlike approach.
However, the City boss believes there is more to Atletico and has claimed he “never judges” other teams’ tactics after some coaches have criticised of Los Rojiblancos on previous occasions.
“After watching Atletico there is a misconception, wrong, about the way [Simeone] plays,” he told reporters. “It's more offensive than people believe.
“He doesn't want to take a risk in the build-up but they have quality in the final third.”
He added: “I'm not going to talk one second about this stupid debate. Everyone tries to win the game. If they win they are right, if we win we are right. Honestly, not one second.”
Guardiola noted that even his team has to indulge in the so-called ‘dark arts’ of the game to grind out results - as Simeone’s Atletico have become famous for.
“We have to do the same, to defend our position,” he stated. “It's part of the game.
“I'm not going to judge what they do, [only] analyse what to do to get a good result to go to Madrid next week.
“What is playing ugly? My team won 1-0 at Old Trafford and Bernardo Silva spent five minutes in the corner, that is not ugly. It's defending the position. I'm here to talk about what we try to do, I never judge the opponents.”
