Portuguese defender Joao Cancelo criticized coach Pep Guardiola and Man City in the incident that caused him to leave the English team in January 2023.

“I think Man City is a bit ungrateful, because I was a very important player when I was there,” Cancelo told Portuguese newspaper A Bola . “I am always committed to the team, the fans and I am always dedicated. I remember one time I was attacked by a robber, but the next day, I was still on the Arsenal field at the Emirates. These are unforgettable things. I leaving his wife and daughter at home alone, in fear. People will only remember something else, because Guardiola has more power and I prefer to keep that to myself.”

The Portuguese defender was angry when Guardiola told the media that he was unhappy with the performance of his former teammates Rico Lewis and Nathan Ake. “There were lies,” Cancelo insisted. “I’ve never been a bad teammate, and you can ask Ake or Rico. I don’t see myself above or below them, but that’s the coach’s opinion.”

In the summer of 2019, Cancelo moved from Juventus to Man City for a fee of about 74 million USD and became the most expensive right-back in history. He took the starting position and became the mainstay of the team, but had conflicts with Guardiola since the end of 2022. After the World Cup in Qatar, Cancelo only played five matches and was pushed to Bayern on loan from the end of January 2023. He scored one goal in 21 matches for the German club, but was not retained.

When Cancelo faded at Bayern, Man City flourished to win a historic treble, with the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League. But the 29-year-old defender affirmed that he has no regrets even though Man City won the Champions League and made the right choice in joining the club that needed him.