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“Even God Couldn’t Stand Him” – Real Reason Behind Joao Cancelo’s Manchester City Exit & Pep Guardiola Fallout Revealed

Published 02/22/2024, 9:48 PM EST

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It was in January 2023 when Manchester City surprisingly let go of Joao Cancelo to FC Bayern on loan. You can imagine how good Cancelo was when he churned out 41 clean sheets in 98 Premier League appearances for the Cityzens. But all those things hardly mattered to Pep Guardiola. The Spaniard is looking for harmony in the team, and according to a soccer pundit, even God wouldn’t be able to stand the fullback, citing an attitude problem.

Cancelo played an important role in City’s double in 2021 and 2022 and was in the EPL team of the season twice. But he gradually lost his place in the side and finally quit in Jan 2023, after which Pep had no interest in him after his return in the summer, as revealed by Lu Martin. In a recent interview, Martin said, “One thing Guardiola can’t stand is attitude. This already happened to him at Valencia; not even God could stand him,” pointing out the real problem.

 

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Joao Cancelo was never short of talent. His strong physicality, attached to his strong duel-winning ability, could have impressed the coach. But with the club already having a lot of talent like Nathan Ake, Rico Lewis, and now Josko Gvardiol, the player somehow became a mere option for the Sky Blues, which was the deal breaker for Cancelo. At the end of 2022, the player’s response to Pep benching him did not impress the former Barcelona coach.

Reports claimed that Pep Guardiola spoke to the club’s CEO and sporting director and arranged for Cancelo’s departure. Pep reportedly said to them, “For the good of the team, Joao [Cancelo] better be gone by the time the winter market is closed.” The player, on the other hand, thought otherwise.

After reaching Germany, the Portuguese star said, “There was speculation that my relationship with Pep was not the best, but fact is I wanted to play more.” Martin also insists that the player is totally okay until he finds competition and needs to earn his place. This did not happen at Barcelona, where he was loaned last summer.

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Joao Cancelo cannot stand being on the bench!

The player is undoubtedly a valuable asset, but cannot see himself being sidelined even a bit. At FC Barcelona, the star did not face any difficulty, to which Martin said, “The day he stops playing important games… there will be a problem.” The 29-year-old did not miss games except while staying out due to a knee injury this season.

via Reuters

The player has played 28 games for the Blaugrana, scoring three goals and providing four assists. However, the player’s loan will end this summer, and it would be hard for the club to get him, considering their financial capacity. Ultimately, where the right-back could end up remains to be seen.

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Written by:

Ruthu

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One take at a time

Ruthu is a Soccer Writer at EssentiallySports. Growing up in a sporting background, he found a passion for soccer through the remarkable 2002 World Cup-winning Brazilian team. Ruthu brings an out-of-the-box perspective with writing, as he possesses the ability to view the game from different critical angles, a skill that sets apart a sports journalist.
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Edited by:

Daniel D'Cruz