Pep Guardiola is currently considered one of the best coaches in the world of football, if not the best for some. Coaches and players alike regularly praise the former coach of FC Barcelona and Bayern Munich. But the Spaniard is not unanimous. During his career, some did not mince their words when talking about him. This is the case of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who had frosty relations with Guardiola during his time with the Blaugrana. Left on the bench, the Swede went to war with his coach at the time. Recently, he returned to this very special period.
“It wasn’t a question of lack of performance. In my opinion, he felt offended that I told him I needed space and told him how I wanted to play. You have to be open with me, be direct so that we can understand each other. After four matches on the bench, I started to make noise because it wasn’t OK for me. He also explained that he had gone to training with his Ferrari even though his coach had recommended him not to do so, like the other players on the team. “I knew it was going to create a problem. I parked the car in front of his office. If you piss me off, I’ll fuck you, that’s my thing. I said: ‘if you want to play with fire, I will bring you fire, but I will burn you.’ (…) He didn’t say anything, because he was avoiding me.”
Guardiola’s devastating remark about his weight
Like him, Samuel Eto’o did not experience his collaboration with the Iberian technician well. “I reminded Guardiola when he arrived that he was never a great player. Guardiola never had the courage to speak to my face. I didn’t want to speak to Guardiola until he apologized to me. Pep wanted to give me lessons as a striker but he was a midfielder. Pep was telling me how to do the attacking movements. I told him: “But you’re not normal.” The real story is that Pep did not respect things in football. Recently, another player managed by him joined the anti-Guardiola circle. This is Kalvin Phillips. However, everything started well between the two men.
Performing in the Leeds jersey, the Englishman caught the eye of the Spaniard and his club. A club which did not hesitate to spend €50 million to secure his services in 2022. But in two years, he has not convinced the residents of the Etihad Stadium, with whom he played 29 matches in all competitions. combined but only 5 as a starter (1 goal). It should also be remembered that he was loaned for six months to West Ham in the 2024 winter transfer window. At the Hammers, he failed to shine, having played 10 matches in all competitions (3 starts ). Back this summer with the Mancuniens, he did not stay long since he found a way out on August 16 with the promoted Ispwich Town.
A new start at Ipswich Town
For the moment, the 28-year-old footballer has played 4 matches in his new colors. In detail, he took part in 3 matches in the Premier League (166 minutes) against Fulham, Brighton and Aston Villa. On the other hand, he was not included in the squad against Manchester City (August 24) and Southampton (September 21). Additionally, he played 66 minutes against AFC Wimbledon in the Carabao Cup. But he should still get playing time soon. He will perhaps have the opportunity on Saturday in the Premier League against one of his former clubs, West Ham. Before this meeting, the native of Leeds spoke in the English press, notably the Daily Mail. The opportunity for him to return to his relationship with Guardiola.
“You probably heard about the time when Pep (Guardiola) said I was overweight after the 2022 World Cup and all that. And I think that narrative on social media has only grown. Every club I went to, I talked to the manager, the nutritionist and people like that. And they always talked to me about weight before saying anything else. It got to the point where it irritated me a little. I was quite frustrated, but now that I’ve arrived at Ipswich I’ve said to myself that the manager is an incredible person as well as being a manager. We talked about all the past events that happened in my career and things like that.”
He wants to get back to his Leeds level
He added: “He just told me he wanted me to get back to where I was when I left Leeds or when I was there. I think it will give us a good starting point to continue moving forward and hopefully get back to where I was.” Marcelo Bielsa, whom he met at the Peacocks, had also ensured that he reached a certain weight, as he recalls. “It’s only recently since arriving at Ipswich that I’ve achieved the target that Bielsa set for me, because I hadn’t played much in the last two years.” At Ipswich Town, Kieran McKenna especially wants to help his player find the light again, as he admitted after the match against Aston Villa on September 29.
“I think he’s improving game by game. He gained a little confidence. He worked very well without the ball. Of course, it was a shame for him to have this little injury that stopped his momentum, but I think he returned to the team well today after only a few days of training. He enjoys being part of the group, he enjoys the daily work and he proves that he can be an important player for us on the pitch. Without the weight of his transfer and the inappropriate remarks of Pep Guardiola, who had also apologized to him after his comments on his physical form, Kalvin Phillips wants to get off to a good start at Ipswich Town.
