Mino Raiola: I don't like Pep Guardiola as a person

Paul Pogba's agent Mino Raiola has hit out at Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola ahead of Saturday's Manchester derby, saying he "doesn't like him as a person."

Raiola will not be at Old Trafford to watch two of his biggest clients, Paul Pogba and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, play for Manchester United in their first derby against a City side now coached by Guardiola.

"It's a special derby, it's important in many aspects, but I will not be there," Raiola told Cadena Cope.

Raiola will be interested in what takes place, though, as Ibrahimovic will be crossing paths with his former Barcelona coach Guardiola again.

The striker endured an unhappy spell working with Guardiola during the 2009-10 season and referred to the Catalan as a "spineless coward" in his autobiography.

Ibrahimovic, who left Barca in the summer of 2010 to join AC Milan, accused the coach of misusing his talents, claiming he was like a "Ferrari" and that the coach was "driving it like a Fiat."

Asked about City boss Guardiola, Raiola said: "I don't like Guardiola as a man, I never did and never will. I don't hate him because hate is a strong word and no one deserves that, but I don't like him as a person.

"I also don't like his tactics because I find them boring, but that is down to taste."

Raiola added: "Guardiola would never sit down with me [to negotiate transfers]. He doesn't have the balls to sit down with me."

Raiola, however, did negotiate with Jose Mourinho's United this summer.

Ibrahimovic, 34, arrived at United in July on a free transfer after his Paris Saint-Germain contract expired.

"Zlatan is very famous, I am very proud to be his agent," Raiola said. "He is a perfectionist in his professional and personal life. Players are like children, you love them all differently but they love you the same."

Raiola was also behind the world-record transfer of Pogba from Juventus to former club United.

"The world record fee is just a detail," Raiola, who earned a reported €25 million from that sale, said. "For me it's not important to be the best football agent in the world, that is up to the players to say, but to be the best for my players.

"It's important that my players are happy where they are. The world-record fee is just a detail. What matters is that Pogba is at the club where he wanted to be."

Blaise Matuidi ‘very disappointed’ to stay at PSG – agent

Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Blaise Matuidi is “very disappointed” by the Ligue 1 champions’ refusal to let him leave the club this summer according to the France international’s agent, Mino Raiola.

The powerful representative, who oversaw the summer transfers of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Paul Pogba and Mario Balotelli — to name just a few of a his most recognisable clients — said that Matuidi, 29, was “taken off the market” by PSG.

Raiola added that the French giants’ decision to not sell one of their longest-serving players was a “surprise” but hinted that the move could be resurrected in the future.

“[Matuidi] is very disappointed to have been taken off of the market by PSG,” Raiola told Premium Sport. “Now we will talk with the club and see. We are all surprised by their withdrawal from negotiations.”

Juventus pursued Matuidi as a replacement for international teammate Pogba, who returned to Manchester United after a successful four-year spell in Turin for a world record €105 million fee.

The former AS Saint-Etienne and ESTAC Troyes man had been expected to leave Parc des Princes this summer after being linked with a number of English Premier League clubs before Juventus joined the chase.

However, new PSG coach Unai Emery repeatedly stated his desire to see the man from Toulouse stay in Paris, while club chairman and CEO, Nasser Al-Khelaifi, echoed the Basque tactician’s sentiments.

Once Juventus’ move for the Frenchman collapsed, they turned their attentions to Zenit Saint Petersburg’s Belgium international midfielder Axel Witsel instead.

The Italian champions’ move for the 27-year-old fell through late on Transfer Deadline Day and he will now have to wait until his contract expires next summer before moving to Juventus Stadium to join the Bianconeri.

France coach Didier Deschamps admitted Matuidi “can’t be enjoying this situation” when questioned about the player’s happiness under Emery ahead of Les Bleus’ 3-1 away win over Italy in Bari on Thursday.

Matuidi must now try to impress the Spaniard sufficiently to win his starting role back ahead of the likes of Thiago Motta, Marco Verratti, Adrien Rabiot, Grzegorz Krychowiak, Christopher Nkunku and Lorenzo Callegari, as well as Javier Pastore who can move into central midfield when asked.