Cancelo discusses his abrupt departure from Manchester City

  /  Tonyleung

The Portuguese full-back clarifies that what happened between the two "wasn't a confrontation" and that, in any case, Pep "was the coach and he was the one in charge."

Joao Cancelo (30) spoke, days ago, on 'Canal 11', about his abrupt departure from Manchester City in the summer of 2023 to go on loan to Bayern Munich first and FC Barcelona later. The former Portuguese international admits that he had differences with Pep Guardiola, but makes it clear that "it was not a confrontation" that he had with the coach from Santpedor. 

"The inverted full-backs were a great achievement and work of Guardiola. They made me see football differently. For me, he's a genius, impeccable, and he changed the way I see the game today," he said, adding: "We had differences, not a confrontation, we had different opinions. I have a very strong personality, and so does he, but he's the one who calls the shots. Everyone went their own way, but I thank God for having worked with him." 

And he continued his praise: "He's a genius, a world leader in coaching. The best moments of my career were at Manchester City. I went to training and matches enjoying myself. I felt important in this group. It made me grow as a person and as a player." "But I didn't want to stay at Manchester City, and they didn't want me to stay either. So there were several reasons for me to go to Al Hilal."


Related: Manchester City Al Hilal Guardiola Cancelo
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