Pep Guardiola insists Jose Mourinho deserves respect as managerial rivalry resumes

Pep Guardiola and Jose Mourinho. [Courtesy]

Pep Guardiola says arch-rival Jose Mourinho deserves respect – despite being sacked from his last two jobs.

Guardiola and Mourinho endured an intense and toxic rivalry when the pair were in charge of Barcelona and Real Madrid respectively.

But the anticipated battle between the pair never materialised in Manchester, with Guardiola's City proving too good for Mourinho's United.

The pair come face to face again when City face Tottenham, the first time they have met since Mourinho was sacked by United.

Guardiola said Mourinho does not deserve to be judged on his last two jobs and rejected the notion his methods are outdated up against his and those of Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp.

Man City boss Pep Guardiola. [Courtesy]

“The value of Jose, a manager with a lot of experience with a lot of success, is not to be judged on one season or one-and-a-half seasons,” said Guardiola. “The guys who judge his career, not on 15 or 20 years, it’s because people don’t understand anything.

“I know we get judged for the last game, the ideas we have or something we do.

“But as a professional, I try to judge my colleagues, not for one season, but 10 or 15 years, a long career. That, for me, gives more value.

“Periods for managers are up and down, everyone has it. You have seasons with good and bad periods, you have to change teams and build things.

“For 15 or 20 years, Jose has been there all the time and that must be respected because it’s the most difficult thing - to be there all the time.”

City winger Leroy Sane, out since the start of the season through injury, is back training with the first-team squad but needs more time to recover.

Sane has rejected City's offer of a new contract, with Guardiola admitting the winger – wanted by Bayern Munich – is no nearer to signing a new deal.

“We made him an offer a long time ago and all the time he rejected it,” said Guardiola. “So after that, I don’t have any news.”