Why does Pep Guardiola have a grudge against Arsenal? Man City boss expresses dislike

Man City boss Pep Guardiola has taken a swipe at north London giants Arsenal by slamming the club's hierarchy this week. Man City crashed out of the FA Cup semi-final against Mikel Arteta's Arsenal on Saturday night. Although Pep Guardiola was impressed with the performance from Arteta's side, the 49-year-old stated that he has 'no respect' for the Arsenal board. 

ALSO READ: Gundogan Delves Into ‘El Mago’ David Silva’s Legacy And The Heir To His Throne, Phil Foden

Pep Guardiola claims he has 'no respect' for the Arsenal board

Following Arsenal's 2-0 win over Man City in the FA Cup semi-final at Wembley, Pep Guardiola revealed that he is a big fan of Mikel Arteta and his team's style of play but has no respect for the club's board. Guardiola said: "Arsenal have all my respect for what they are on the pitch, but not much off the pitch." Pep Guardiola then wished Arsenal the best of luck in the FA Cup final but the Catalan's comments on the Arsenal board caught the attention of fans.

ALSO READ: Liverpool Get Their Name Engraved On Premier League Trophy Ahead Of Presentation: WATCH

Why does Pep Guardiola have no respect for the Arsenal board?

Only last week, Guardiola launched a rant at Arsenal and fellow Premier League clubs who wrote to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). Guardiola's grudge against Arsenal's hierarchy stems from the Gunners' supposed attempts to keep Man City out of the Champions League. According to reports from BBC, Man City believe Arsenal were the chief instigators behind the collective request by eight Premier League clubs for CAS to block any attempt against City's two-year UCL ban being delayed.

ALSO READ: Lionel Messi Voted As Second-best LaLiga Player As Karim Benzema Claims Top Spot

Chelsea, Burnley, Leicester, Liverpool, Manchester United, Tottenham and Wolves were reportedly the seven other Premier League clubs involved in the collective approach to CAS. After Man City had their two-year European suspension overturned by CAS on July 13, Guardiola demanded an apology from the clubs that approached the court. Reports also claim that Guardiola was unhappy with the manner in which Arsenal approached Mikel Arteta - at the time Guardiola's assistant in December - to succeed Unai Emery at the Emirates.

ALSO READ: Arteta's Baptism By Fire, Defensive Frailties & Euro Vision: Nketiah On All Things Arsenal

Mikel Arteta was in Guardiola's dugout when Man City beat Arsenal 3-0 in the Premier League at the Emirates. Following the game, two senior Gunners executives made the trip to Manchester to meet the 38-year-old Arteta at his house for talks to become the new Arsenal boss. Guardiola admitted that he had no intention of standing in Arteta's way but felt that Arsenal should have at least informed Man City about their plans when they made the Cityzens were at the Emirates.

Image Credits - AP