Jose Mourinho claims Manchester City are a bunch of divers and believes Pep Guardiola receives preferential treatment from Uefa

JOSE MOURINHO has hit rivals Manchester City with a stinging double blast ahead of the derby.

The Manchester United boss claims City are a bunch of divers and that their manager Pep Guardiola receives preferential treatment from Uefa.

Ahead of tomorrow’s clash at Old Trafford, Mourinho said: “If you ask me one thing that I don’t like a lot is that they lose their balance very easily.

“A little bit of wind and they fall.”

The Portuguese has also questioned why Uefa have not disciplined Guardiola for wearing a yellow ribbon in support of those fighting for independence in his native Catalonia in Spain.

Uefa have tried to be strict on political messages worn by players and managers and even tried to ban the poppy.

Yet Guardiola has been allowed to wear his symbol on the sidelines and in press conferences and has spoken openly about the fight back in his homeland.

Mourinho said: “I think that our political ideology and our political beliefs is something we have the right to have.

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“We are normal citizens like everybody else in our countries and everybody else in our world.

“I’ve known Pep for many years, I think I know what Pep feels about his country. To have it in football, I don’t know the rules.

“If the rules allow us to do that, he is a free citizen to do it. But I am not sure if the rules allow any political message on the pitch.

“That’s just my doubt. But I know Pep, and I know his feelings like everyone else because he is public about his country.”

Asked if he would do something similar, Mourinho said: “I think I wouldn’t be allowed to, that’s just what I think.”

Guardiola, whose side are eight points ahead of United, is likely to wear the symbol again at Old Trafford tomorrow.