Pep Guardiola chose not to respond to Liverpool manager Arne Slot after he jokingly referenced the 115 charges Manchester City are currently facing.
Slot was in a lighthearted mood on Tuesday when discussing Mohamed Salah’s remarks about Sunday’s 2-0 victory over City.
Salah hinted that the match might have been his last home game against the reigning champions, with his contract set to expire in June.
“Maybe Mo knows more about the 115 [charges] so he doesn’t expect them to be in the Premier League next season,” Slot said.
He added: “I do expect them to be in the Premier League. That was a joke! I do repeat: that was a joke.”
Manchester City remain embroiled in a legal battle with the Premier League over 115 allegations of breaching financial regulations.
If found guilty, the club could face severe sanctions, including relegation from the top flight. City have denied all the allegations, but the case is expected to cast a shadow over the 2024/25 campaign, with a verdict unlikely before late 2025.
Any subsequent appeals would further extend the timeline.
Speaking ahead of City’s clash with Nottingham Forest on Wednesday, Pep Guardiola was asked for his thoughts on Arne Slot’s remarks.
“It was a joke,” he replied bluntly. “He said it was a joke, right? It was a joke.”
Guardiola has more pressing concerns, as Manchester City are currently enduring a seven-match winless streak and find themselves 11 points behind Liverpool in the title race.
The City manager has appeared visibly frustrated on the touchline in recent weeks, and he made headlines at Anfield on Sunday when he raised six fingers to the crowd, a reference to the number of Premier League titles he has won.
When asked if he had lost his temper, Guardiola responded: “We won six, yeah. I was never cool. Do you know why I was cool? Because we won. If you ever win, it’s so cool, it’s so handsome, it’s so nice.
“When you don’t win it’s completely the opposite. But it’s the same.”
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