Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has publicly apologized to Kalvin Phillips for his past remarks regarding the midfielder’s weight following the Qatar World Cup.
In December 2022, Guardiola had commented on Phillips’ physical condition, which resulted in the player being excluded from Manchester City’s squad for a Carabao Cup fourth-round match against Liverpool.
Phillips, who recently joined West Ham United on loan, expressed how the comments affected his confidence earlier this month, describing them as a significant blow.
“I’m sorry,” Guardiola stated. “I do apologise to him. I’m so sorry.”
Guardiola clarified that he had addressed the matter directly with Phillips upon the player’s return from a brief post-World Cup break.
“I did speak about that,” Guardiola affirmed. “I never before said something here [to the media] without speaking to the player.”
Since joining West Ham on loan, Phillips has faced challenges, including conceding a goal in his debut against Bournemouth and receiving a red card in their recent match against Nottingham Forest, contributing to the team’s 2-0 defeat.
Reported By AFP.
