Guardiola Relishing Duel With Inter's Mourinho
Wednesday, September 16, 2009 @ 2:39 PM
Pep Guardiola had paid tribute to Inter boss Jose Mourinho ahead of Barcelona's Champions League tie with the Italian champions tomorrow evening.
The young tactician was a player at the Blaugrana while Mourinho worked in a coaching capacity under Louis van Gaal, and Guardiola says that he could see Mourinho's talent even then.
"It is an honor for me to challenge such a prestigious coach as 'Mou', who has won in three different countries," Guardiola is quoted as saying in Il Corriere dello Sport.
"You could see he was good even when he was at Barcelona. It doesn't surprise me that he has become one of the best coaches in the world.
"To challenge a squad like Inter, who have won four championships in a row, is also a great honor. It is a difficult game at this early stage because we will face a tough team, who are good at set pieces, in the air and in possession."
When he was told that Mourinho has already released his starting team for tomorrow's game, Guardiola laughed it off by saying he was not tempted to name his own.
"Mourinho has named his team? Not me. I never do."
Source: goal.com