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."