From Ibra to Cancelo: If you fall out with Pep, you’re doomed

Pep Guardiola has done it again. He hired a football player and managed to kick him out in a few months.

Joao Cancelo was a regular starter and made the Premier League’s ideal team last season, but has seen significantly less playing time this season.

Cancelo is reportedly unhappy with the diminishing playing time he is getting and “erupted like a volcano” (in the words of people at the club) when forced to stay on the bench.

The Catalan manager tried to quell Cancelo’s violent reactions, but after he failed, he decided to part ways with him. Thus, the Portuguese moved to Bayern Munich on loan until the end of the season, after which the Bavarians are expected to pay 70 million euros for him.

But Cancelo is far from the only one Pep has had problems with in his career so far. Here are the most famous such examples from his spells at Barcelona, ​​Bayern and City:

Zlatan Ibrahimovic

“It’s like having a Ferrari but driving it a Fiat,” Zlatan Ibrahimovic famously quoted Pep Guardiola as saying. The Swedish striker felt his qualities were not being used to their best despite scoring 22 goals. in his only season for Barcelona after the Catalans paid €69.5m to Inter for him in the summer of 2009.

“As a coach, he was fantastic. But as a person… I will not comment. I will only say that he is not a man,” Ibra also said about the Catalan. Guardiola preferred to give Lionel Messi complete freedom rather than play with a centre-forward in Ibrahimovic and so he took to Milan for his first spell at the San Siro.

Samuel Eto’o

“My experience with Pep at Barcelona was what it was, but not what I hoped for. A lot of footballers say the same about him.”

Eto’o was another one of the big names that Guardiola didn’t use at the Camp Nou. While Ibrahimovic went to Barcelona, ​​Eto’o took the return route to Giuseppe Meazza. Thus, the Swede once again failed to win the Champions League, and Eto’o was among the most important players of Jose Mourinho on the way to the treble in 2010.

“I can’t compare Mourinho with Guardiola – one failed to win the Champions League with Bayern Munich, while the other did it with Porto,” is another winged quote from the Cameroonian.

Alexander Hleb

Hleb’s spell at Barcelona was limited to 19 disappointing matches, but that didn’t stop him from openly reviling Guardiola. He later asked for forgiveness for his words.

“I regret that I went to Barcelona. But I realized it only after I left Barca. But it’s my fault. Different things happened in my life, I was nervous and I didn’t listen to anyone’s advice – admits Hleb about his time at “Camp Know”. –

When Guardiola told me to learn Spanish, I reacted aggressively and pretended not to hear him. He is a coach, he cannot tolerate such behavior.

Everything was wrong. In 2009 we won the Champions League, but even then I wasn’t happy. I had played in all the matches until the final, then he left me out of the group for the most important match. I didn’t expect it. I wanted to blow it after the game.

Now I am calmer and understand it perfectly. If I were Pep, I would do the same.”

Yaya Toure

Toure attacked Guardiola in an interview with France Football, accusing him of racism: “Wherever he goes, he always has a problem with African footballers.” However, he later apologized for his words and admitted that he was wrong.

Guardiola and Yaya worked together at both Barca and City, but the best years of Toure’s career were precisely those at the “citizens” before the arrival of the Catalan.

Cesc Fabregas

Fabregas spent just one season at Barcelona working with Guardiola, after which he had some interesting details to share.

“No, we’re not in any relationship at the moment; no, I’m not talking to Pep at all – he told Marca in 2020. – I don’t know if the disappointment is mutual. Some things happened that I just don’t want to talk about . Pep was my childhood idol. I learned the most from him.”

That moment when Guardiola walked past Fabregas after a game between City and Chelsea speaks volumes about their relationship.

Joe Hart

Hart was a regular at the Etihad before Guardiola, but things have changed since then.

“We talked for two hours, and finally he said, ‘I don’t think we’re going to be able to work together. I may be wrong, but right now I’m sure you don’t have the qualities I’m looking for in a goalkeeper.” – revealed Hart. –

I tried to explain to him that I haven’t even tried to do the things he demands of his goalkeepers and that I insist on being given a chance, but it didn’t matter.”

Claudio Bravo quickly replaced him, after which City found their goalkeeper in Ederson.

Dante

Guardiola won three consecutive titles in his three seasons at Bayern Munich but never managed to win the Champions League, a trophy that has so far eluded him at City.

As we know, not everyone is happy with his working methods, and there were those who complained, even at Bayern.

“He doesn’t talk to you. You’re a football player, but you don’t know what’s going on,” Fante told “Sport.” .”