‘Lies!’ - Barcelona defender Cancelo blasts Guardiola and Man City

Jacque Talbot

• Updated: 24 Mar 2024 16:44 GMT
• 3 min read

Joao Cancelo has taken aim at Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola in a recent interview.

The defender has claimed that 'lies were told’ following his move on loan to Bayern Munich in early 2023. It’s thought that Guardiola was unhappy at the full-back's reaction to losing his place in the starting XI.

Cancelo was considered one of the best full-backs in the world and was a vital part of the club’s 2021/22 season, where Man City won the Premier League for a consecutive season.

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Cancelo was one of the first to be an inverted full-back in England but his relationship with Guardiola broke down.

In the 2022/23 campaign, there was a significant drop-off in form and so Nathan Ake became the first-choice left-back.

But Cancelo didn’t take the news too well and the pair had a falling out as a result. He was eventually allowed to leave and was sent on loan to Bayern. After which he joined Barcelona, where he has become a pivotal player once more.

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What did Joao Cancelo say about Pep Guardiola

And to Portuguese publication A Bola, the 29-year-old blasted his former boss: “Lies were told! I've never been a bad team-mate for them, and you can ask either (Nathan) Ake or Rico (Lewis). I don't have any superiority or inferiority complex towards them, but that's the manager's opinion.

"'I stayed because it's not true. I think Man City were a bit ungrateful to me when they said that because I was a very important player in the years I was there.

"I never failed in my commitment to the club, to the fans and I always gave everything. I remember a time when I was robbed and attacked and the next day I was playing at the Emirates against Arsenal.”