Pep Guardiola claimed benching Kevin De Bruyne for their loss at Real Madrid was simply a selection decision - and not injury-related.
Manchester City were dumped out of the Champions League after being well beaten in the Spanish capital. It is the third time in four years that Los Blancos have dumped out the Premier League side, who struggled in attack on Wednesday night.
De Bruyne has been the team's most creative player for years but found himself on the bench at the Bernabeu - and remained there for the duration of the evening. He will turn 34 in the summer and there is talk of the playmaker moving on.
Guardiola has never been shy of making a bold selection call, but left Erling Haaland on the bench in midweek as he carried an injury issue. He's confirmed though that it wasn't the same situation for De Bruyne.
The Catalan quashed rumours of an injury as he said: “Kevin De Bruyne didn’t start against Real Madrid as I made a technical decision. He was not injured”.
The City boss went on to praise the Belgian's contributions over the year whilst and the Etihad and maintained he can play a role in the major contest this term. He added: “Decisions. My decision. Yeah, of course he can still play in big games… he played against Madrid at home, of course he can play.
"The relationship with Kevin De Bruyne is exceptional. I can't be thankful enough for what he's done for me, the team, everyone. It's just a decision. Normally I don't speak with players, not just Kevin, on why they don't play. They don't ask me why when I decide to let them play from the beginning or during. It's just a decision from what I've seen, for many reasons, a few. Never ever is it personal, never ever I'm upset."
De Bruyne's contract expires in June and he's been at the club since they signed him from Wolfsburg in 2025. He's won six Premier League titles and the Champions League during his time in Manchester but his manager remained neutral amid talk of a contract extension.
"The extension is none of my business," said Guardiola. "He's had problems in the last year and a half like many players, but when he is consistent and fit he is a really important player for us, a decisive player for us even. It is (now) about how he is going to perform for us until the end of the season. His age and those things, so I think the club has to think about it."
ziudiknsu
0
hi good evening
ziudiknsu
0
hi good evening
ready for you
yupclnops
0
Now I know that pep Guardiola is against black players how can you benched doku and he is free with no reason he is not even injured
Is KDB a black person?
steppenwolfxcity
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I'm now proud to say Pep sucketh!!!
Cibabnptuz
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pep sold the game against real madrid
💯 agree
cotabikmnp
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lying
tupcekostz
1
hi good evening
Siuimnosty
2
not only struggled in attack, but also struggled in defense also
leaacdiktu
0
did he lies before? your head line is always off topic.
viwcdeikl
1
Now I know that pep Guardiola is against black players how can you benched doku and he is free with no reason he is not even injured
nehakmnu
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KDB ,silva, gundogan, kovacic all have tired legs
jamdun009
1
Manchester City gonna Fu...ck Loserpool. Just wait and see. Haters where were you when we were the Dominance Force. We still Believe in our GOAT PEP Gaudiola.
Fuzabeikms
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Trust the manager,there a lot of things that can't be disclosed on the publicits all good for the team .
wonbceimps
2
pep sold the game against real madrid
yonailmpr
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You are a very big fool sir. Just do that against Liverpool for the sake of my bet.
Vosbdipuyz
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Kdb ,Dokuand Silva still good players, don't bench them always,their can help Savhio to give strikers chances to score
Vosbdipuyz
1
please give chance to Kdb and Halaand this Sunday 🙏
M_cAveli
2
See what happened to STONES! The squad available wasn’t good enough. Many have returned from injuries and he didn’t want to take risks to play them because of same injuries. HAALAND for instance is an exhausted player without being hungry enough for goals so he needed some rest to reset his mind and grow hungry for goals. De BRYNE too is ageing and therefore lacks stamina. After conceding too many goals, PEP chose not to risk playing any of the two of them. He has Premier League position to fight for top four or if possible win and it requires a lot of consistency and physicality.
ciyamnpty
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Clearly Pep is becoming clueless and in actual fact he appears to have lost every bit of that technical and tactical master class. Indeed he's now a bundle of nerves. Otherwise how can a coach worth his salt bench players like de bruyne, kovacic and doku in a crucial match like this
he don't want Liverpool to do the double and them Sunday so he trying to rest players
puoklmnosz
1
I'm s LFC fan and i think PeP knew winning that game was impossible. even if Haaland, KVD,Doku and even if PeP played himself they wouldn't have won. PeP time is a GOOD DANCE KNOW WHEN TO LEAVE THE STAGE. Sloppy knew Furgenson knew
yeabdklrst
1
SO YOU GAINED MORE PROBLEMS IN CITY'S DRESSING ROOM BECAUSE OF THAT
Imhereforyou
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not playing KDB in match of that magnitude was clearly a wrong decision
He played in the first leg and still lost
vedbimrsyz
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Clearly Pep is becoming clueless and in actual fact he appears to have lost every bit of that technical and tactical master class. Indeed he's now a bundle of nerves. Otherwise how can a coach worth his salt bench players like de bruyne, kovacic and doku in a crucial match like this
Honestly, I was going to do a rant video, but I decided not to. The fans really need to calm him out. Real Madrid now think they are supernatural. SMH
Niccdortu
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Divorce can preoccupy any man's conscience for prolonged periods of time. Just imagining another guy rocking your can be on one's mind even at times when you need to make professional decisions!
viwbelptuy
0
Clearly Pep is becoming clueless and in actual fact he appears to have lost every bit of that technical and tactical master class. Indeed he's now a bundle of nerves. Otherwise how can a coach worth his salt bench players like de bruyne, kovacic and doku in a crucial match like this
Mikel-ARTETA
4
not playing KDB in match of that magnitude was clearly a wrong decision
tabiklory
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BarcaCitehhh
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Well to be honest, KDB should have started over Bernardo silva .. if Pep is saying KDB is aged now then so is Silva and so is Gundogan... but pep played them both... 😂
imagine it could have. been the best match if pep was smart to play em......
ducclntu
1
Pep, that was poor and bad decision for us as fan. How cn you bench haland, debrune, covacic, doku. Why should pep explain how Kevin is very important player? Instead of supporting nico our new weapon
Rikacdirsu
1
from longtime ago if they signed him 2025 lol
Nadeemhasan24
5
Well to be honest, KDB should have started over Bernardo silva .. if Pep is saying KDB is aged now then so is Silva and so is Gundogan... but pep played them both... 😂