Mino Raiola Slams Pep Guardiola, Questions Manchester City Manager's 'Balls'

Outspoken agent Mino Raiola has launched a scathing attack on Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola, suggesting the coach "doesn't have the balls” to talk with him.

Speaking on Cadena Cope (h/t Ed Malyon of the Daily Mirror), Raiola didn’t hold back in his assessment of the former Bayern Munich and Barcelona boss and criticised the style of football his teams play:

"

Everyone knows I don't like him. I like people who have a different character to Guardiola.

I don't hate him... because hate consumes you. But I don't like him. He's a good coach but his football is a bit boring to me...

"

When asked if the two would work together, Raiola’s response was just as scathing. “Me, I'm a professional,” said the agent. “I want to do the best for my clients. He? He doesn't have the balls to sit down with me.”

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It’s not the first manager Raiola has taken a pop at, either. He recently labelled Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp a “piece of s--t” for not giving Mario Balotelli more of a chance with the Reds, per La Gazzetta dello Sport (h/t the Daily Telegraph). The striker eventually left Merseyside for Nice on a free transfer.

As noted by Malyon, with clients like Paul Pogba, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Zlatan Ibrahimovic all making lucrative moves to Manchester United this summer, Raiola is estimated to have earned around £25 million from the transfer window.

It’s suggested his disdain for the City boss was triggered in 2010, when Ibrahimovic fell out of favour at Barcelona under Guardiola.

The veteran forward has made little effort to hide his contempt for Guardiola recently, too. "As a coach he was fantastic," he said, speaking with CNN (h/t Daniel Taylor of the Guardian) in November. "As a person I’ve no comments about that, that’s something else. He’s not a man, there’s nothing more to say."

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Ibrahimovic and Guardiola will come face-to-face again on Saturday, as Old Trafford is set to stage what’ll likely be a fiery Manchester derby.

Each man has enjoyed a fine start to life in the Premier League, too. Guardiola’s City team have swept to three wins from as many games, although they will be without star striker Sergio Aguero for the game. Ibrahimovic’s side also have a perfect record at this point, with the striker helping himself to three league goals.

Raiola will no doubt be watching this one intently and supporting the team in red. As for his loudmouth antics, he’s unlikely to slow down anytime soon; he recently told TalkSport (h/t Malyon) "I’d rather go walking through life than living on my knees" when asked about his boisterous persona.