Pep Guardiola denies banning players from s3x

Pep Guardiola joked that his Manchester City players wouldn't be playing as well if he had introduced a s*x ban.

The City boss responded to claims from French midfielder Samir Nasri, who said that Guardiola had put a ban on s*x after midnight.

Nasri, who is now on a year-long loan at Sevilla, claimed that the Catalan coach had introduced the curfew at former clubs Barcelona and Bayern Munich because it helped top players like Lionel Messi and Robert Lewandowski to avoid injuries.

But the 45-year-old dismissed suggestions that he interfered with the love lives of his squad and said sex helps their performances on the pitch.

"It's impossible to play good football if you don't make s*x with your partner," Guardiola said at his news conference ahead of City's game with Crystal Palace on Saturday.

"I never did that and I would never ban that. If you are doing it, better players!"

Guardiola has made a major changes since he took over at the Etihad in the summer, cutting junk food, banning WIFI during team meals and stopping hotel stays on the night before home games.

However, he insists his meticulous attention to detail only goes so far.