Manchester derby: Zlatan Ibrahimovic insists his angry spat with Pep Guardiola is ‘history’ ahead of crunch clash at Old Trafford on Saturday
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- MANCHESTER UNITED take on rivals City in a mouthwatering clash tomorrow.
- And it has only been made more exciting with the prospect of Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola being in opposite dugouts
- There is no love lost between the two - but they have both been tame with their remarks about one-another in the build-up.
- Guardiola had his say first, discussing his troubled relationship with Mourinho and his respect for Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
- Moments after the Man City boss was done, Red Devils manager Mourinho tried to play down tensions between him and Guardiola - before confirming he has a fully-fit squad and claiming Sergio Aguero's absence is a BLOW to United.
- Follow every word said and all the reaction in our press conference blog below.
- Refresh browser for updates...
19.50: Manchester United striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic has also claimed it would be "childish" to bring his much-publicised spat with City boss Pep Guardiola to the fore tomorrow.
Speaking to MUTV ahead of the mouthwatering Premier League clash on the "row" with Guardiola, the 34-year-old said: “I have other important things to think about. That is the past and for me, I’m 34 today and I don’t look back – I look in front.
“It would be childish to have something like that in your mind and still think about it. The day I left Barcelona it was history and I’m happy I went through the year I did.
"I learnt a lot outside the pitch and on it. I have other much more important things to think about.”
19.00: The Manchester derby has a lot to live up to for Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
The Swedish striker has spent his career in a number of countries, and experienced the ferocity between city rivals on many occasions.
Speaking ahead of tomorrow's clash, he said: “For me, the big games are the ones that trigger you. They are the ones that everybody speaks about and I’ve played many derby games.
“I think El Clasico is the biggest for the worldwide. If the game is on the Sunday then they already start to speak on the Monday.
“But I like the derbies in Italy. Milan-Inter. That for me, when the San Siro is shaking, is something incredible.
“The atmosphere is amazing, it’s beautiful. Because the Italians, the way they see football, passion is everything to them.
“When I see somebody else who loves football in the same way that I do, but they have a different way of doing it, I’m playing it, he’s watching it and that triggers me and I want to give back to all the people that are watching me."
We're sure the City v United derby will be right up there for Zlatan come 2.30pm tomorrow...
18.15: They may be seen as sworn enemies, but there was a time when Pep Guardiola had Jose Mourinho's back - as this video below shows.
In November 1996 it all kicked off in a match between Barcelona and Athletic Bilbao. Mourinho was working under Bobby Robson at Barca at the time, and the opposition manager Luis Fernandez attempted to stoke things up in the pre-match pressers and then on the pitch at the San Mames Stadium.
After getting in Mourinho's face, who was very much learning the coaching game at the time, Guardiola stepped in to warn Fernandez away, and led him down the tunnel.
They do say true love runs deep...
18.00: Raheem Sterling has bagged the Prem Player of the Month award and the England star hopes it is the first gong of many this season.
The 21-year-old said: “We’re only just at the beginning of the campaign and there is a long way to go, but I only hope that this is a sign of things to come and by the end of the season the team will be getting our hands on some silverware."
17.40: Eric Bailly has been giving his thoughts on his start to life in Manchester to United's MUTV channel, following his £30m summer move from Villarreal.
Not riveting stuff, but he seems up for it.
The Ivorian, 22, said: “I haven’t got an opinion yet on whether in could between us to decide the title because you never know who is going to win the league at this stage.
“You can only go step by step. It is important we do that right until the end of the championship to see how we do in every game.
“We want to gain maximum points as they will be valuable in the end and hopefully we’ll get a good reward for the work we’ve put in.
“This is the biggest club I’ve been to in my career, so there is a big difference.
“It’s a derby I’ve followed before, the Manchester derby is a big match and I want to be approaching the game with full fitness on the pitch to show my full potential.”
16.20: Thierry Henry played two of his three seasons in a Barcelona shirt bossed by Guardiola.
The Frenchman reckons Pep will be pretty relaxed ahead of kick-off... and will even let his players do some of the talking.
The Arsenal legend said: “Pep will be very relaxed and sure about what he wants from his team. He usually gives you the proper plan and then it’s up to you to execute it.
“But there is nothing worse than when you go on the field and you don’t know what to do, and with pep that doesn’t happen.
“He will tell you exactly what to do and he will tell you what you need to do to find answers and ask questions of the other team for any problem that you’re going to encounter.
“He’s usually very relaxed and at some point will let the players do the talking."
16.00: Gary Neville reckons Manchester is the epicentre of the football world right now.
But then he would, wouldn't he...
'Red Nev' told Sky Sports: “I think with the two managers and Zlatan Ibrahimovic coming and Paul Pogba coming is a huge thing and the excitement seems to be back and the expectation levels are back.
“Guardiola’s record is incredible. Jose Mourinho’s record is incredible. Manchester does feel like the most talked about city in the world right now from a football point of view.
“I would say that’s how it should be but then others wouldn’t. It’s great for the city, it’s great that it’s a good derby now that both teams feel like they’re actually competing for the league again.
“That’s not been the case for United for a couple of years and for City many years ago it wasn’t.
“So they’re very much at the forefront of the Premier League now and you couldn’t have said that 15 years ago.”
15.20: Paul Scholes has had his say on Mourinho's new signings.
The ginger former midfield maestro could not resist a dig at Louis van Gaal in the same breath as lauding the likes of Ibra and £89m man Paul Pogba.
Scholes said: “The United signings have excited me. For the first time in a couple of years really they’ve excited not just me but United fans as well.
"I think Mourinho had to bring ready-made players, big-time players. Some of the players bought by the previous manager were risky and you never really knew what they were going to be like at a club like Man United.
"Pogba’s been at a huge club in Juventus who’ve had a lot of success. Ibrahimovic has won the league everywhere he’s been and everyone know what a calibre of player he is. Three of four special players have come in and a ready to go straight into that team."
14.59: Jose and Pep may be done, but SunSport will bring you plenty more reaction, including Paul Scholes' thoughts on the crunch clash.
14.45: This is how Marcus Rashford has been getting in the mood for the derby...
14.20: That is all from the two rival bosses for now ahead of the main event, which kicks off at 12:30pm tomorrow.
14.15: But Jose isn't getting carried away, hailing the 'family' atmosphere he's created while quick to defend the flops blasted during former boss Louis van Gaal's tenure... a charm offensive almost. Has he seen a massive change since he started?
"It's not thirty, it's three matches. I don’t think there is a reason to change the feelings dramatically around the team.
“We have all the reasons to feel happy with what we are doing. We are doing okay. The new players are showing good adaptation.
“The players who were here before are showing they are better than many people though they were. We have a good family, a good group.
"We are together and we enjoy the responsibility to work together for a club that has such a history.
“When you arrive at a club like Man United you cannot have defensive words. You have to go direct to the target and be objective and say you want to win the title.
“In terms of words and approach I think it was important for the group to know objectively what we want.”
14.12: But here come the mind games, he'd seen this one coming a mile off.
Mour is asked whether United's approach changes with Sergio Aguero out suspended for City.
He responds without pause: "I think it changes because it's more difficult.
"When Aguero is available, we know that Aguero plays. We know the formation and their dynamics and no-one has doubts that if he's ready he plays.
"They are an amazingly rich squad in options and now Guardiola can have many decisions.
"For us in the preparation in the game we have to go step by step. We try to reduce the unpredictability of the game but they have so many options that to try to do that for the players is more difficult.
"It looks a bit of a contradiction but without Aguero is more difficult."
14.09: United talisman Ibrahimovic has spent plenty of the build-up bigging up his manager. Now is Mourinho's turn to return the compliment.
And a MASSIVE SHOCK! It seems like Mour is trying to diffuse Zlatan's long-standing rift with City boss Guardiola!
He says: "I think he was 'Zlatan' in every club in every club with every manager in every country.
"So I don't think it's about the clubs or us managers. It's about himself.
"He's a phenomenal player that arrives at the age of 34 and he wants more for his career.
"He didn't want the Chinese money or the US dollars - he wanted the most difficult place to play football and win titles.
"Us managers and our contributions to him in motivational terms, I think is zero. It's just his nature."
14.07: Let's be honest, everyone wants Jose to throw a grenade in pep's direction. But Mour is having none of it.
He says: "Everyone else is everyone else and I don’t care.
"It’s about the players. They are a very good team and we up to four seasons ago and maybe since their new owners arrived."
14.05: NEWS JUST IN... and a major boost to United is that both Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Luke Shaw are fit. Mourinho says he has a fully-fit squad at his disposal.
“I never have a problem when I have good players available. In this moment we have a completely fit squad.”
14.02: The Portuguese is trying to play the clash down from the off. How does he feel?
"Normal. And I don’t think the players are thinking about the impressive numbers of people watching. For me especially it’s a game.
"We are playing to win the title and when you do that, especially in first face of the season, I don’t feel any match is more important than another one."
14.01: We are straight over to Red Devils boss Mourinho at Carrington now...
13.55: On the eve of the biggest managerial war in Premier league history - ever - Pep has just been asked about National Catalan Day... Maybe we can get him on Bake Off next.
13.53: NEWS JUST IN Pep Guardiola will accept the old post-match drink with Jose Mourinho, if he invites him.
13.52: Pep disagrees with Arsene Wenger's claims that this match has a big psychological edge to it. "I am sorry but Arsene is wrong". He says the players are mature and experienced enough to handle defeat or victory. Is he being honest?
13.45: On Zlatan: "I have a lot of respect for what Zlatan has done in his career. He has had a big impact everywhere. Especially on the pitch. I have a lot of respect for his football. He is one of the best players. The way he arrives, the talent is immediate. Big players don't need time to understand the league."
13.42: Pep graciously accepts Sergio Aguero's ban for the throat punch on Winston Reid. No arguments from the City boss.
13.41: Very philosophical from Pep so far. No battle lines drawn. No barbs. He's even looking forward to the Champions League game already.
13.40: On his relationship with Jose: "He was my assistant coach at Barcelona. The last period in Spain was not easy but we met three weeks ago at the managers' meeting and it was ok. That's it."
13.38 Talking about his will to win: "I love to win but I don't hate to lose. It can happen."
13.36 Pep is in, tracksuited up. Perfect stubble. "Good morning" he started with, knew he would. Claudio Bravo is fit and ready. Gundogan is better and Vinny K is training but they are waiting on a blood test. They don't want to risk him unless he is 100 per cent.
13.34 It appears Pep will have a translator sat with him to translate some of the Spanish questions for us English to understand. Shame it's not Jose, really.
13.25 Spanish journalists already approached by some British broadcast media to discuss how bitter, how spiteful, how very very violent the Pep v Jose wars got in Spain....
13.22 We're inside the Manchester City media suite now waiting for Pep. Plenty in attendance. The best football journalists from around the world in Manchester this weekend - and me.
13.05: The Swede has not always been complimentary about the man talking in under half an hour from now...
Guardiola was staring at me and I lost it. I thought, 'there is my enemy, scratching his bald head!' I yelled: 'You haven't got any b***s!' and worse than that I added: 'You can go to hell!' I completely lost it, and you might have expected Guardiola to say a few words in response, but he's a spineless coward.
Ibra on his Pep during their year together at Barcelona
12.57: Ibra has today been discussing how he cannot finally wait to get a taste of the derby that almost got away from him.
He told MUTV: "For me, the big games are the ones that trigger you. They’re the games everyone speaks about.
"I have played in many derby games, I’ve played in the El Clasico, the Inter/Milan derby, Ajax and Feyenoord which was the big one there [in Holland] and PSG/Marseille.
"I have played in all of them, the only one I missed was this one. This is coming on Saturday and I am very well prepared, confident and focused, and there is a lot of hard work behind that. We are prepared and we are ready. We just wait for the game now.
“People are talking about it and build it up and the media are discussing the situations from the red side and the light-blue side and all the investments and transfers and the new coaches. It’s a normal build-up.
"For me, I’ve been through it and I know how it is. We are ready. Everyone came back from the national team break and we are back in action. The team is focused.";
12:52: And his client Ibrahimovic has done his bit to stoke the fires before the derby
12:48: There have not been many vicious comments by both Pep and Mourinho... but super agent Mino Railoa has had some things to say
12:46: A complete guide to their 16 matches against eachother...
12:45: To whet your appetite before the two colossal managers have there say, we will give you some build up before they start.
12:43: Hello and welcome to SunSport's LIVE blog of Pep Guardiola and Jose Mourinho's final press conferences before the big Manchester derby.