- Guardiola makes management confession
- Talks about how he relates to his players
- Man City fans might not agree with him
Pep Guardiola has outlined the distance he had to keep from his squad at Manchester City, even though he did not enjoy doing so.
Rotation is what Guardiola was known for at Man City. He was always orchestrating changes to his starting lineup, making use of his squad’s depth.
This meant that no player was ever made to feel too secure, creating a professional, rather than a personal dynamic.
Since departing the Citizens, Guardiola has revealed that he could never get too close to his players, which is something he did not find easy.
Pep Guardiola has ‘never’ been friends with a player
According to the manager himself, he would ‘love’ to be friends with his players, but it is simply not possible.
After all, he is forced to make decisions which means there are always some members of his squad missing out.
Guardiola told Man City’s official website: “I’ve never been best friends with a player. Never, ever. I’d love to be their friends, I’d love it – but I can’t!
“I tell you that you don’t play! They say, ‘I want to play’, and I don’t allow you. How can you be friends? It’s impossible. You have to take distance.”
Guardiola had to make some tough choices this season
One of the biggest calls Guardiola made during the 2025/26 campaign was to permanently drop Phil Foden.
The academy graduate has been considered a key player at City for some time, and he was playing really well during the first half of the season.
However, he hit a rough patch and eventually it was just not practical for Guardiola to keep selecting him each week.
Additionally, he did not name Nico Gonzalez in his FA Cup final squad, despite the fact it was the midfielder who scored the goal to get them there.
These were decisions which will have affected his relationship with the players, but that is football – it is full of hard choices.
Man City fans point out Guardiola’s exception
While Guardiola maintains he cannot be friends with his players, many City supporters have pointed out how well he got on with Bernardo Silva.
The Portuguese star appeared in every single one of his team’s Premier League matches this season, and was regularly seen being embraced by his boss.
It is certainly a shame to see the era they shared together come to an end, and perhaps their existing relationship will blossom into a friendship outside of work in the future.
