‘I prefer the sex… by far’ – Guardiola responds to Dani Alves

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Pep Guardiola has dismissed Dani Alves’ claim that his coaching is ‘better than sex’ and admitted there are as many players who don’t like his management as ones that do.

Alves made the claim during the upcoming documentary ‘Take The Ball, Pass The Ball’, which details Guardiola’s incredibly successful spell in charge of Barcelona between 2008 and 2012.

Winning three La Liga titles and the Champions League twice in the space of four years, Guardiola left the club having won the favour of Lionel Messi, Andres Iniesta and, of course, Alves.

But, speaking at Manchester City, where he has threatened to repeat his success in the Premier League, Guardiola admitted that some players were not at all happy with his management and pointed towards a strained relationship with Zlatan Ibrahimovic as the prime example.

‘I prefer the sex… by far,’ joked the Manchester City boss when asked if he agreed with Alves’ vivid interpretation.

‘I can see a huge list who are on the opposite side, a list where they love me a lot, like Dani.’

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‘They have another side from Sweden and other places where they don’t like me too much. Normally it happens when people don’t play regularly they are not big fans. We try to convince them – sometimes yes, sometimes no.’

Guardiola and Ibrahimovic famously failed to see eye-to-eye after the latter joined from Inter Milan in a huge deal that included a £59million fee as well as Samuel Eto’o in part exchange.

The Swede lasted just one season at the Nou Camp before joining AC Milan on loan and he has since taken every opportunity to take a pop at his former manager ever since.

Among many metaphorical jabs from Ibrahimovic, in 2013 he said: ‘When you buy me, you are buying a Ferrari. If you drive a Ferrari, you put premium petrol in the tank, you hit the motorway and you step on the gas. Guardiola filled up with diesel and took a spin in the countryside. He should have bought a Fiat.’

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