Guardiola Expresses Regret Over Confrontation After City’s Defeat

Pep Guardiola has openly expressed feelings of embarrassment and shame regarding his interaction with a television cameraman following Manchester City’s defeat to Newcastle United on Saturday.

Following the match, Guardiola was involved in what appeared to be a confrontational moment with the cameraman on the pitch at St James’ Park. He was also seen engaged in animated discussions with referee Samuel Barrott and Newcastle midfielder Bruno Guimarães after City’s 2-1 loss.

During a press conference on Monday, when questioned about the incident, Guardiola acknowledged his role in the dispute and confirmed he had apologized to the cameraman. “I feel embarrassed, ashamed when I see it,” Guardiola stated. “I don’t like it. I apologized after one second to the cameraman. I am who I am. After 1,000 games, I’m not a perfect person; I make huge mistakes. It’s not about that. What is for sure, I defend any team and my club, that’s for sure. The reason why is I want to defend my team and my club.”

In a tense news conference ahead of Bayer Leverkusen’s visit to the Etihad Stadium for the Champions League on Tuesday, Guardiola also made a subtle remark about Claudio Echeverri’s agent. Echeverri, who is on loan from City at Leverkusen, has faced challenges in securing playing time since his transfer to the Bundesliga.

Guardiola commented, “Always, I would love for players to play a lot of minutes; the intention is always there. We have an incredible appreciation for him as a football player. I am sure, pretty sure, his agent will know everything.”

When asked about the possibility of Echeverri returning to City in January, Guardiola responded, “It is a question for his beautiful agent.”