Pep Guardiola hits back at Zlatan Ibrahimovic after 'ego' jibe

Pep Guardiola has offered a withering response to Zlatan Ibrahimovic's suggestion that the Manchester City manager's 'ego' could prevent him from getting the best out of star striker Erling Haaland.

Ibrahimovic, who famously did not get along with Guardiola during the pair's single season together at Barcelona more than a decade ago, expressed his admiration for Haaland in a recent interview but questioned the manager's ability to improve the 22-year-old Norwegian.

Ibrahimovic said: "It depends on Guardiola’s ego, whether he lets him become bigger than he is or not. Why didn't he allow me to improve? Because it didn't just happen to me, but to many others."

Speaking to reporters ahead of City's weekend clash with Fulham, Guardiola did not attempt to hide his contempt when asked for his thoughts on Ibrahimovic's comments.

“He is right, he is completely right," Guardiola sarcastically told reporters. "In this club, in this team, my ego is beyond every other person, every player.

“I don’t like it when Erling scores three goals, and all the highlight is for him. I am so jealous! Honestly, so jealous! I said ‘Erling, please no more goals, otherwise the newspapers won’t talk about me, and just about me'. He is right, he knows me perfectly. He can write another book."

The 'book' remark is most likely a reference to Ibrahimovic's autobiography, in which he heavily criticised Guardiola for his treatment of the Swede at Barcelona.

Ibrahimovic described Guardiola's handling of him as being akin to buying a Ferrari and treating it like a Fiat, perhaps due to sharing the limelight with the likes of Lionel Messi and Andres Iniesta at Camp Nou.