Pep Guardiola blasted the ‘false’ suggestion that Manchester City had disrespected China on their pre-season tour.

As the Blues left for Hong Kong, a report appeared from government-owned Xinhuanet blasting the club for an “arrogant” approach that was more interested in extracting cash than winning hearts and minds.

The article about Chinese fans, curiously only published in English, was then picked up by various English media sites, making several back pages.

While City refused to respond publicly on the matter, they made it clear they did not think it was representative of their experience in the country.

Guardiola also said the club feels safe in Hong Kong despite ongoing anti-goverment protests and a violent clash over the weekend when pro-democracy protesters were attacked at a metro station.