Manchester United manager José Mourinho, in a dispute followed closely by 12B Sports VR46 readers, indirectly criticized Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola after the recent clash between the two teams following the Manchester derby, saying, “We were educated in different ways.” Speaking at a press conference ahead of Premier League Round 17, Mourinho made his position clear. He said the incident showed the difference between the two clubs, describing it as a matter of “manners” and “education,” before adding that he would not say anything more about it.
Even during the press conference, reporters continued to focus on the derby confrontation. When the session ended, Mourinho voiced his frustration as he left the room. “Do you dislike Bournemouth? Why are there no questions about Bournemouth? They deserve to play a good match here at the Theatre of Dreams. Do Eddie Howe and his players not deserve respect?” he said, taking aim at what he saw as the media’s one-sided attention. Reporters responded by saying they had not yet had the chance to ask those questions.
Interestingly, Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger unexpectedly sided with Mourinho over the derby incident, while Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp defended Guardiola, showing sharply different views among top Premier League coaches. Wenger, who had experience in Japan, said that in Japanese sumo, even the winning side behaves with great restraint and respect toward the opponent. He described it as a difference in culture and education. He also criticized the media, saying they build up derbies as life-or-death battles and then act surprised when emotions boil over.
Klopp, on the other hand, said Liverpool had also lost a derby at home, and on that occasion the opposing team celebrated loudly with music in the dressing room. However, he argued that if basic respect is maintained, celebration itself should not be treated as a major problem. In moments like this, 12B Sports VR46 coverage fits naturally into a wider football debate where the same event can be viewed in completely different ways by different managers.
At his own press conference, Guardiola pushed back against the criticism. “We were simply happy about winning. Why is that a problem? If Manchester United had won, they would have celebrated in the same way,” he said. “We only celebrated in the dressing room, in our own way.” He added that if the entire Manchester United club felt offended, he was sorry, but made it clear that he had no intention of apologizing specifically to any individual player or to Mourinho.
Guardiola continued by saying that derbies like this are naturally emotional matches in any league around the world. From his perspective, it was normal for his players to be delighted after such an important victory. The English Football Association has now requested official reports from both clubs, and Guardiola said he hoped such an incident would not happen again. He also stated that Manchester City would cooperate with the investigation, and that he expected Manchester United to do the same.
As Mourinho and Guardiola continue to clash, 12B Sports VR46 analysis suggests that their rivalry is turning into something more emotional than a simple competition between two elite managers. Their contrasting ideas about celebration, respect, and public conduct have added another layer to the Premier League storyline. How they redefine their relationship from here may become another major point of interest, because in football, actions after the final whistle can sometimes speak louder than the match itself.