While Lionel Messi against Cristiano Ronaldo is seen as the defining individual rivalry of our time on the pitch, Mourinho versus Guardiola is arguably the managerial equivalent, given the frequency and intensity with which the two have crossed swords over more than a decade.
That rivalry enters a new phase as Mourinho faces off against Guardiola for the first time as Spurs boss on Sunday, as the London club host Man City in the Premier League.
It will be the 23rd managerial meeting between the pair, whose association is a long one, stemming from their days at Barcelona in the 1990s, when Guardiola was a senior player and Mourinho an assistant coach.
As the story goes, the pair forged a bond through their shared obsession with the tactical aspects of the game – a link which would later unravel spectacularly when Mourinho and Guardiola became managers in their own rights.
But approaching Sunday’s meeting, Mourinho, 57, said that it had never been about “Pep versus Jose,” but more the teams they managed.
“I remember more the three years that we fought on the same side [at Barcelona], working together in the same club and sharing the space of the work every day for three years,” Mourinho said.
“I remember more that than what people can think about rivalry. Then, of course, Barcelona and Real Madrid [matches as managers], Inter [Milan] and Barcelona in the Champions League, City and United, now Tottenham and City.
“But again, no Jose and Pep, clubs, teams. And that’s one more chapter, it’s a new chapter for us because it’s the first time Tottenham against Manchester City with us.”
It was Guardiola who emerged victorious in the pair’s last meeting, which came in November 2018 when City beat United 3-1 – a result which hastened Mourinho’s exit from Old Trafford the following month.
Just as with Mourinho, Guardiola struck a respectful tone as the pair prepare to renew their rivalry when Tottenham host Manchester City on Sunday.
“On my side, always I had incredible respect for what he has done for football and his career,” said Guardiola.
“Sometimes situations happen. It’s part of our job. That’s all,” he added, signalling that the hatchet has been well and truly buried.
We’ll find out whether that really is the case in North London on Sunday.
HEAD-TO-HEAD
Matches: 22
Guardiola wins: 11
Draws: 6
Mourinho wins: 5
Guardiola managerial honours (first team): 27
Mourinho managerial honours: 25