Pep Guardiola apologised for confronting a cameraman following Manchester City’s 2-1 defeat at Newcastle. He acted after City felt wronged by a penalty call, a handball shout, and a tight offside decision at St James’ Park, which left him furious at full-time. The Spaniard walked onto the pitch to speak with referee Sam Barrott and pulled a cameraman’s headphones to speak into his ear.
“I apologised,” Guardiola said, refusing to reveal what he said. “I feel embarrassed and ashamed. I don’t like it. I apologised after one second to the cameraman. I am who I am. After 1,000 games, I make huge mistakes. I do it because I want to defend my team and my club.”
The match saw flare-ups among players as well. Goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma was ushered down the tunnel, while Newcastle midfielder Joelinton was held back by manager Eddie Howe. Guardiola also exchanged words with Newcastle captain Bruno Guimaraes. “We have known Bruno for many years. After games, even at the Etihad, we always talk in the tunnel. I don’t know what happened. Our paths always cross, and I have a good relationship with him. I love it. I am emotional; I love to talk and use my hands and arms.”
Champions League Milestone Awaits
Manchester City host Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League on Tuesday, aiming to maintain their unbeaten start. A win will strengthen their fourth-place standing in the group and consolidate their bid to reach the knockout stages directly. The match will mark Guardiola’s 100th Champions League game as City manager, a career highlighted by the 2023 trophy win over Inter Milan in Istanbul.
City have also faced near misses, including the 2021 final loss to Chelsea and a 2022 semi-final defeat to Real Madrid, who scored three late goals in the second leg. Guardiola reflected: “I realise I’m getting old. Every weekend is a milestone. Manchester City are the only English team to qualify for the past 14 Champions League campaigns. Every season we have been there, and hopefully next season we will be too.”
He added: “Playing against the best teams in Europe is incredible. It’s a huge experience. For the club, in terms of repetition, prestige, and finances, it’s massively important. There have been more disappointments than good moments. Good moments, especially in group stages, we have been top every season except last season with the new format. But of course, it has been a top experience. Good and bad moments define a team and a club. Sport is tough; not everything is easy or comfortable.”
Learning From a Difficult Season
City struggled last season, marking the first time in eight years without a major trophy. They were knocked out at the Champions League play-off stage, finished third in the Premier League, and lost the FA Cup final to Crystal Palace. Defender Josko Gvardiol described the season as “the worst I ever had in my career. It was painful. I couldn’t sleep because I was trying to find solutions and help the team and everyone in the club out of this position. Sometimes it is difficult when things don’t go as planned, but I am glad it is behind us and we are recovering well.”
