Guardiola’s heated clash with Kyle Walker over Man City captaincy

Former Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola clashed with defender Kyle Walker in a dressing-room row after the club’s defeat to Liverpool in December 2024.

In a yet-to-be-released documentary titled “A Beautiful Obsession”, it was revealed that Guardiola criticized his defenders during the post-match talk for the manner in which some of the goals were conceded. Walker reacted angrily to his manager’s comments.

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“If you keep saying my name every meeting, every f***ing thing, it’s going to be impossible, you’re going to get a reaction,” Walker snapped.

Guardiola responded that he had been referring to Joško Gvardiol, insisting Walker had misunderstood his remarks.

However, the full-back remained furious, saying, “For f’s sake. Every fing meeting it’s my name.”

Walker, still livid, accused Guardiola of not wanting him as captain, “Ok, but maybe you didn’t want me to be captain. You didn’t want me to be your captain.”

After Walker eventually secured a move away from the club, Guardiola told the squad he was saddened by the circumstances surrounding the defender’s departure.

He pointed out that the former Tottenham Hotspur player had failed to conduct himself as a captain during a difficult period for the team.

“I’m incredibly sad about what happened with Kyle. It was so easy for him, f***ing hell, it was so easy for him to come to me and say, ‘I’m done.’ But he did not behave as a captain should. He knows we were in the toughest moment of our lives. What did you do, my friends? What did you do with your captain?” Guardiola said.

SB/JKB

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