‘It is not a sport if you can’t lose’: Pep Guardiola responds to Super League proposal

Guardiola’s Manchester City are one of the 12 leading clubs who have committed to joining the new breakaway competition

Pep Guardiola has responded to the proposed plans for a European Super League for the first time.

Guardiola’s Manchester City are one of the 12 leading clubs who have committed to joining the new breakaway competition aimed at rivalling the Champions League.

The move has been heavily criticised by supporter groups, football pundits and politicians alike.

Speaking for the first time since Sunday’s bombshell announcement, he said: “A few hours before a statement was released they told me. No-one speaks clearly with more details about what they are going to create.

“We are not the right people to answer these questions. We don’t have all the information with (club) presidents do. I support by club.

“Sport is not a sport when the relationship between effort and success does not exist. It is not a sport if you can’t lose. It’s not fair if a team fights to get to the top and success is only guaranteed for some clubs.”

City could see themselves expelled of the Champions League, where they have reached the semi-finals, as a result of their actions.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp expressed his own concerns on Monday evening.

“My feelings didn’t change. My opinion didn’t change,” he said ahead of the Premier League game with Leeds. “I heard for the first time about it yesterday. I was trying to prepare for a difficult game.

“We got some information, not a lot. Most of the things in the newspapers. It’s a tough one. People are not happy with it, I can understand it. 

“I can’t say a lot more because we were not involved in the process - not the players, not me - we didn’t know about it. We will have to wait how it develops.”