Middlesbrough football club manager Aitor Karanka says Manchester City boss, Pep Guardiola, is not the best manager in the world and rates Jose Mourinho higher than the Manchester City boss.
Karanka was a former player and Champions League winner with Spanish giants, Real Madrid, and later went on to work as an assistant to Mourinho at the club.
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"For me, Jose is a better manager than Pep. I worked with Jose for three years, and I know his methodology, I know his character, I know everything," said Karanka to the Daily Mail.
Karanka and Guardiola were rivals during their playing careers and now rekindle their rivalry from the touchline.
The Boro boss reveals his relationship with Guardiola and Mourinho, "For me it was amazing to work with him, so I know him better than Pep. (Myself and Pep) are not (friends) because Real Madrid versus Barcelona were big games. Once you've been part of that divide, it stays there. But I think it is the same here if you are Newcastle, Sunderland or Middlesbrough. I think it's always the same. I wasn't with him in the national team (either) so I didn't have a relationship with him.
"We are not really friends because Real Madrid versus Barcelona were such big games and I wasn't with him in the national team so I didn't have a relationship with him.
Despite Guardiola winning multiple Champions League and domestic titles, Karanka has stated that Guardiola’s men are not genuine title contenders prior to Saturday’s game between Manchester City and Middlesbrough took place.
"He is one of the best coaches, but I don't think one is much, much better than the rest because we have Jose, we have Pep, but we also have Diego Simeone in Spain, Jurgen Klopp here, Mauricio Pochettino, Antonio Conte with Chelsea and Massimiliano Allegri in Italy."
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Not many people would have predicted that a recently promoted team like Middlesbrough could stand a chance against the might of Manchester City and Pep Guardiola, but Karanka’s team scored an extra-time goal on Saturday and snatched away two points from City on Saturday.
Jose Mourinho has so far had a disappointing campaign after being appointed as the manager of Manchester United. Guardiola, on the other hand, won his first ten games as manager of Manchester City in all competitions.
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