Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini has said that he will not be drawn into playing mind games with Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho ahead of their match at Stamford Bridge.
The Portuguese coach replaced the Chilean at Real Madrid in 2010 but still finished second to Barcelona despite collecting a record number of points.
At the time, he was quoted as saying: "Second place is just the first loser. If Madrid were to fire me, I wouldn't go to Malaga. I'd go to a top-level team in Italy or England."
Pellegrini, who had taken over at La Rosaleda following his release, goes head to head with Mourinho once again on Sunday, but the 60-year-old shunned suggestions of a rivalry.
"I never get involved in the moment and I will not get involved now," he told reporters.
"I don't know him. He worked in Spain, I worked in another club. We played Real Madrid against Malaga. Nothing more, I don't have any complaint about him."
Mourinho has praised the strength of City's squad ahead of the meeting.
Michael Penkman
