After Manchester City – Real Madrid – Guardiola on his clash with De Bruyne: “I love it”

The scene went completely unnoticed by the vast majority of viewers on Wednesday night. We are playing the second half of the Champions League semi-final second leg between Manchester City and Real Madrid. Starting from the midfield, Kevin De Bruyne, lonely, advances in the Madrid camp but is taken back by Eder Militao. Then by Pep Guardiola, who did not appreciate this loss of the ball.

“Kevin! Pass the ball!”, yells the Catalan coach at the Belgian midfielder, who reacts instantly. “Shut up! Shut up!” responds “KDB” to his coach, with great gestures in support. The virulence of the exchange did not prevent the two men from giving each other a big hug when De Bruyne left a few minutes before the end. And it is with some pleasure that Guardiola returned to this situation on Friday, at a press conference.

“We shouted at each other and I love itassured the former Barça coach. Sometimes, on certain matches, it’s a little soft. I love this energy. It is not the first time. You don’t see it, but how many times he yelled at me in training. We need that in his house. Because after that, he becomes the best. At this point, we are leading 2-0. Gundogan loses the ball, Kevin loses two or three in a row, and we didn’t want this type of game, at 2-0, against Madrid”.

A “I love you, me neither”, which often characterizes the relationship between Guardiola and his protégés. But in this category, the Belgian definitely has a special place. “Sometimes Kevin I tell him to keep calm, and he gives an incredible assist. How many times has that happened… It’s football, it happens, it’s not personal. These things have to happen to be competitive”. It was also in the wake of an instruction from Guardiola that De Bruyne struck the free kick from Manuel Akanji’s fatal goal. The interventionism of the Spanish coach does not only have flaws.