Pep Guardiola, the Spanish manager of Manchester City, made a sarcastic comment regarding the injury of new player Nico Gonzalez in his first match with the team. Guardiola said that Nico quickly learned what English football and its referees are like.
Gonzalez started in the match against Leyton Orient on Saturday in the fourth round of the FA Cup. However, the 23-year-old midfielder picked up an injury in the 22nd minute, forcing him to leave the pitch early.
Pep Guardiola’s Remarks on Gonzalez’s Injury
After the match, which ended in a 2-1 victory for Manchester City, Pep Guardiola spoke to the press, saying: “I think Nico immediately understood what the Premier League and its referees are like. I’m saying that because we won; otherwise, I would’ve kept quiet.”
Guardiola also added: “There was a clear penalty, but I think he (Gonzalez) understood what England means. It’s unfortunate I don’t know how badly he was hurt, but he couldn’t carry on playing.”
Nico Gonzalez joined Manchester City from Porto on Monday for €60 million. The Spanish midfielder is also included in the team’s Champions League squad.
The match against Leyton Orient, a third-tier team, provided an opportunity for Guardiola to integrate new players into the squad. Guardiola started with Brazilian defender Vitor Reis, Egyptian forward Omar Marmoush, and Gonzalez, before introducing Uzbek centre-back Abdulkadir Khusanov at the beginning of the second half.
This match against Leyton Orient was Manchester City’s last game before their crucial Champions League clash with Real Madrid on Tuesday in the first leg of the knockout round.
Both Real Madrid and Manchester City finished 11th and 22nd in their respective Champions League groups and will now face each other in the knockout stage of the competition.
Guardiola’s team will aim for a strong win in the first leg before travelling to the Santiago Bernabeu for the return match on February 19.
