Pep Guardiola insists his comments about Liverpool’s Premier League record was not a swipe at them and instead praise for his Manchester City players.
The City boss risked incurring the wrath of Reds supporters and players alike when he pointed to the fact they had won just one title in the last 30 years. The dig came after Guardiola’s side bounced back from Champions League heartbreak to take the initiative in the domestic title race.
Having been dumped out of Europe in dramatic fashion by Real Madrid in midweek, City responded emphatically, beating Newcastle 5-0 to take a massive step towards another Premier League title.
Speaking after the victory, Guardiola suggested that due to Liverpool ’s record in the Champions League, they had more backers when it comes to the league: “Everyone in this country supports Liverpool, the media and everyone.
"Of course because Liverpool has an incredible history in European competition. Not in the Premier League, because they have won one in 30 years, but it is not a problem at all."
Klopp responded in trademark fashion, bursting out laughing at the accusation and suggesting that his rival must know more about Liverpool’s support than he does. But ahead of City’s trip to Wolves, Guardiola has looked to clarify his comments and said they should be taken as a message of support to his own team, not a slight against Liverpool.
“I saw a documentary about Liverpool from Bill Shankly, Bob Paisley, Joe Fagan, the history in the Champions League,” he told Sky Sports. “When you see the documentary, you understand completely what they have done in world football and in this country.
“People follow Liverpool more than us and in the media as well, this is obvious. I’m not saying we are better or worse than the other clubs. All I say - and my quote is to defend my players - is that everything today in world football starts and ends in the Champions League.
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“And the Champions League is massively important, it’s the dream for us. We have not reached it, next season we will try, with me, without me, with these players, with players in the future.
“It looks like it’s just the Champions League, Liverpool have many more leagues than us, before in the eighties and seventies they won a lot. But in the Premier League, in the last 30 years, they have just one. That’s why I want to give credit to my players, not to underestimate Liverpool, they could have won the last three or four that we have won because the margin was incredibly tight.
"But it shows how difficult the Premier League is - it looks like the Premier League doesn’t matter, because it’s just the Champions League. But the Premier League is so important.”
