João Cancelo settles scores with Pep Guardiola and Manchester City

Unless there is a real twist, João Cancelo should extend his stay in Barcelona this summer (in any case this is his desire and that of Joan Laporta), where he is on loan from Manchester City until the end of the season. No longer in the odor of sanctity in the English club for a year, where his relationship with Pep Guardiola has clearly cooled due to his downgrading in favor of the young Rico Lewis, the Portuguese international is now recovering his health in Catalonia. But obviously, he still has not digested what had been said about him, particularly from the mouth of Pep Guardiola.

In an interview given to the Portuguese newspaper In Bola this week, the right-back did not make any detours when talking about his former coach: “Guardiola’s statements? Lies have been toldassured the Portuguese. I was never a bad teammate for them and you can ask Aké and Lewis that. I don't have any superiority or inferiority complex towards them, but that's the coach's opinion… Manchester City were a bit ungrateful to me in saying that, because I was a very important player for several years.»

Guardiola takes it for his rank

To recontextualize, several leaks in the media had reported an attitude considered heavy by Cancelo in the locker room, while his playing time had been considerably reduced. Faced with this, the 29-year-old full-back wanted to clarify things and remind people of the extent to which he had always devoted himself to his club: “I have never failed in my commitment to the club or to the supporters. I always gave everything. I remember the time I was robbed and the next day I was playing at the Emirates against Arsenal. These are things we don't forget. I left my wife and daughter alone at home, terrified.”

Pep Guardiola, for his part, took it upon himself: “People will only remember what Mr Guardiola said because he is much more powerful than me. And when he says something, everyone believes him. But I prefer to keep it to myself. I prefer to know that I am telling the truth, I feel fulfilled by what I have done. I am a transparent person, I never lie. Life goes on and I hope everything goes well for them, because while I was there I enjoyed my football but also the team. » Difficult, in any case, to predict a future for Cancelo with the Cityzens. But obviously, that’s no longer in his plans at all either.