Guardiola lashes out at his former Barcelona bosses

Bayern Munich coach Pep Guardiola whipped up a media storm in Spain yesterday by accusing his former bosses at Barcelona of trying to use coach Tito Vilanova's cancer illness to criticise him.

The 42-year-old, who won 14 titles between 2008 and last year at Barcelona and took a year off in New York before joining the German side, exposed a deep rift between him and Barca president Sandro Rosell's management team.

"This year there have been too many things that crossed the line," Guardiola said in Italy, where the German team were in pre-season training.

"But using Tito's illness to damage me is something I will never forget," he said in Catalan, denying he had failed to see Vilanova while he was treated in New York for salivary gland cancer.

"I saw Tito in New York and if we did not see each other on other occasions it is because it was not possible, but not on my part." He did not say who exactly had made the accusation.

Barcelona vice-president Jordi Cardoner said he was surprised when he heard Guardiola's outburst and he denied the club had made any such claim.