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Mourinho Tips Manchester City To Knock Barca Out
- Updated: February 18, 2014
Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho claims Manchester City will face “the worst Barcelona of many, many years” in the last 16 of the Champions League.
The Spanish side won the competition in 2009 and 2011 but have failed to make it past the semi-finals since.
Mourinho, who worked at Barcelona under the late Sir Bobby Robson, has had a tense relationship with his former club and appears to have stirred the tensions ahead of the game.
“Of course by history Barcelona is the favourite, but this Barcelona, this season, is showing that it is not the same in previous years,”
“Of course, they have [Lionel] Messi – he is special – and they have more than him. But I think this is the worst Barcelona of many, many years.”
Mourinho’s comments came after former Manchester United centre-back Pique admitted his side may not be as highly regarded as they once were.
He said: “Maybe they don’t fear us as before because in the last two years we didn’t win the Champions League.
“We can still be the best, but we have to show to the world we can do it.”
Barca’s most recent Champions League successes came under former coach Pep Guardiola, but Tito Vilanova’s side were thumped 7-0 in a two-legged semi-final by eventual winners Bayern Munich last season.
The club – with Gerardo Martino now in charge – have had to contend with off-the-field problems this term, with the transfer of Brazilian forward Neymar under investigation by a Spanish court and Sandro Rosell resigning as club president as a consequence.
Meanwhile, Manuel Pellegrini has guided City to the Champions League knockout stages for the first time, their free-scoring football including a 3-2 win over Bayern at the Allianz Arena.
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