Jose Mourinho vows not to play mind games with Pep Guardiola

By Danielle Joynson, Staff Reporter | 31 May 2016

New Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho says that he will not focus on a rivalry with incoming Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola.

New Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has insisted that he will not get sucked into a rivalry with incoming Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola.

The two coaches had a fiery relationship during their times in La Liga, with Guardiola in charge of Barcelona and Mourinho guiding Real Madrid.

Manchester's clubs already have a tense rivalry, and it has been enhanced further by the arrivals of the two successful managers, but Mourinho has claimed that he will not be focusing on the opposing dugout.

"[Our rivalry] does not allow me to be innocent," Mourinho said while speaking at a lecture in Lisbon. "For two years Pep and I were in a league where the champion would be either me or him - Real Madrid or Barcelona.

"In a situation like this, individual fights make sense because they can influence things, [but] in the Premier League, if I focus on him and Manchester City, and he on me and Manchester United, someone else is going to win the league."

Mourinho signed a three-year contract to become United's new manager last week, replacing Louis van Gaal, who was sacked after two years in charge at Old Trafford.