It was hardly a flickering flame in any case.
One area where Manchester City’s perfectionist gaffer will never be found wanting is passion.
But the hint that Jurgen Klopp’s men will be the team to beat this season, rather than Guardiola’s runaway champions, cut deep.
And the suggestion that last term’s heroics now count for nothing brought an equally emotional response.
No one is more up for another scrap than the Spaniard.
He will be using the memory of last season’s record 19-point-margin title win as the starting point for this campaign.
Guardiola, whose side begin their defence at Arsenal today, insisted: “People say now we have to forget what we did last season. No way!”
“I don’t want to forget what we have done. I know exactly what we did to achieve that, and that is where we start from.”
“Now, when I say something to the players, they know exactly what we have to do. Maybe Liverpool, Arsenal, Tottenham and Chelsea can do their job better — but if we do our job, we will be there.”
“We were the best last season, no doubt about it. This season we don’t know. The important thing is to be ourselves.”
“It’s not about winning back-to-back, it’s to be ourselves.”
Not that Pep believes for one minute that simply relying on past glories will be enough.
And any player who falls into that trap will not find themselves a part of things for long.
He added: “What we did last season doesn’t mean we are going to win this time.”
“That’s why it is special. That’s why we forget the World Cup happened, why this or that happened. It’s a new challenge.”
“The moment I am not hungry, I am leaving. The moment the players are not hungry any more, they are going to move on, that’s the point.”
“Of course we accept the challenge to win it back-to-back — but to be ourselves is the main thing we have to do.”
Being themselves was certainly too good for everyone else last time, with a huge 100 points in the bank by the end.
The self-anointed Special One may reside across town — although that crown sits decidedly crookedly right now — but if anyone really deserves that monicker, it is Guardiola.
Not that you will ever hear Pep calling himself anything more boastful than a hard grafter. He lets his team’s performances do the bragging.
He added: “I work a lot and I am good at that. I have said many times I’m not a special guy but I am so good at working, working, working a lot and the players have to work too.
“They don’t deserve to play when they are lazy or not committed or focused. When that happens, we will have a problem — but it’s not.
“There were few, few games when the attitude was not there. And sometimes we can make so much effort and still lose because the others are good.”
“So yes, that is the first thing to create, because it is impossible to win titles if you just have quality players.”
“If they believe their quality is enough, then you cannot win — not even a friendly game.”
Guardiola will never be content with one trophy when another is just around the corner.
That is why he will never underestimate any challenge.
This season will be no different. And he does not think the threat lies at Anfield alone.
He admitted: “Even sometimes after being perfect, the others can be better.
“Forget how much Liverpool have spent. They may have spent a lot, but last season they were a good team as well.
“There is Chelsea with Jorginho, Kovacic and Kante in the middle, and Hazard, Willian, Pedro and Morata up front, so you can’t say they are not contenders, or Manchester United. Arsenal are contenders too.
“Of course we will have bad moments, but at a club where you win titles, winning another one helps for the future.”
For Pep, one is never be enough. No way Jose. Or Jurgen, Maurizio or Unai, come to that . . .
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