“You know what I don’t like about Guardiola?” - Fabio Capello accuses Man City boss of harming football

Ex-England boss Fabio Capello has delivered a scathing attack on Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola. He accused the legendary Spanish tactician of arrogance, claiming the latter's tactical methods had been damaging to football.

In an interview with El Mundo, Capello recalled an interaction at Roma when the City manager offered him some advice, which Capello did not like. He said (via GOAL):

"He came to tell me how I should do my job and I told him: 'Go for a run and then you can talk.' That was the end of the debate."

Capello continued:

"You know what I don't like about Guardiola? His arrogance. The Champions League he won with [Manchester] City [in 2023] is the only one where he didn’t try anything funny in the decisive matches.

"But all the other years, in Manchester and Munich, on key days, he always wanted to be the protagonist. He would change things and invent them so he could say: 'It's not the players who win, it's me.' And that arrogance cost him several Champions Leagues. I respect him but, for me, it's clear."

The Italian manager finished:

"Furthermore, even if it is no longer his fault, he has done a lot of harm to football."

The Spanish manager's influence over football is not up for debate, despite the criticism. His teams have won numerous domestic and continental titles, including Manchester City’s historic treble in 2023.

---

Evra claims Guardiola’s tactics have "killed the game"

Patrice Evra has also slammed Pep Guardiola for his style of management, claiming that his type of play style has made everything boring. The former Manchester United full-back was part of two UEFA Champions League final defeats to the legendary manager's Barcelona in 2009 and 2011.

Evra said on Rio Ferdinand Presents that the manager's style had "killed the game", and explained (via GOAL):

"When I say that. it's because now we've got robots. Everybody wants to play like Guardiola. The goalkeeper has to be No.10! Everyone wants to play amazingly but this tiki-taka, only Guardiola can do it. Why does everyone copy him? We have no creativity. We have no geniuses anymore."

He lamented a loss of raw individual brilliance by players, arguing that modern coaching discourages flair, adding:

"You will never see a player like Ronaldinho again because when he's young, do you know what the coach is going to tell him? 'If you don't pass the ball, I'm going to put you on the bench.' But all football comes from the streets."

Pep Guardiola is one of the most successful managers in history. He has won three Champions League titles, six Premier League titles, three LaLiga titles, and three Bundesliga titles. He is also the only coach to win the treble twice; with Barcelona in 2009 and with Manchester City in 2023.