Man City boss Pep Guardiola has issued a full apology to ex-Rangers manager Steven Gerrard after making comments about the former Liverpool captain’s infamous slip in 2014.
The Spanish manager, 52, claims he is “ashamed” of the comments, which came after the Man City boss was pressed on titles potentially being stripped from the Etihad club amid a series of unprecedented charges.
The Premier League champions have been charged by the Premier League after an investigation found over 100 alleged financial rules breaches between 2009 and 2018 [Guardian].
Rather defensively, Pep Guardiola cited the Steven Gerrard slip – which surrendered the ball to Chelsea striker Demba Ba in a season-defining 2-0 defeat in the close-run 13/14 Premier League campaign – as not being the Manchester club’s fault.
That’s despite Manuel Pellegrini – and not Guardiola – being in charge for that specific title victory.
“Come on – those moments belong to us,” said Pep [Guardian].
“They absolutely belong to us, regardless of the sentence they belong to us. The goal from Agüero, when Balotelli slipped [him in]?
“I don’t know if we are responsible for Steven Gerrard slipping at Anfield. Was that our fault? I have respect for Steven Gerrard – but that moment belongs to us.
“The moments that we lived these years together, the Premier League will decide. But I know what we won and the way we won it.”
Pep Guardiola apologises to Steven Gerrard
Now, Pep Guardiola has apologised to ex-Rangers boss Steven Gerrard for what he describes as the “stupid” comments, claiming that he is “ashamed” of making them in the first place.
“I apologise to Steven Gerrard for my unnecessary and stupid comments I said the last time about him,” Pep Guardiola said.
“He knows how I admire him and his career and what he has done for this country I am living and training in.
“I am ashamed of myself for what I said because he doesn’t deserve it. I truly believe my comments about defending my club, but I didn’t represent my club well putting his name in these stupid comments.
“I apologise. I said to him personally, but I comment publicly and have to do it here as well. I am so sorry to him, his wife, Alex, his kids and family because it was stupid.”
Pep Guardiola could also be set to come up against former Aston Villa boss Steven Gerrard as a manager soon, as a Premier League outfit reportedly consider a swoop.
