Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has responded to supporters who have criticized him for calling for more fans to come to the Etihad Stadium.
City fans have been up in arms since Pep Guardiola spoke after Wednesday night’s victory over RB Leipzig in the UEFA Champions League.
The manager appeared to aim criticism towards the attendance at the Etihad Stadium that night by saying, “I would like more people to come to the next game on Saturday.”
In the 24 hours since that comment, Blues fans have expressed their annoyance with the message, claiming that Guardiola does not fully understand the trials and tribulations of the modern football fan.
To back that up, a representative of Manchester City’s official supporters group responded to the manager’s comments by saying, “To question the support, which is effectively what he is doing, is disappointing and uncalled for.”
In his press conference on Friday morning ahead of his sides Premier League showdown with Southampton, Guardiola has hit back at those comments.
“This guy, or the other guys want to misunderstand the situation,” said Guardiola.
“This is a problem but I’m here to defend what I said. I make mistakes and I’m here to say I apologise but in that case I will not apologise because I know exactly what my intentions were – to be part of something together.”
“I know who we are and I like the fans that we have,” the manager concluded. The City fans will come out in hordes on Saturday, as they do for all Premier League matches. Yet, only time will tell if the atmosphere inside the Etihad Stadium will be touchy after the back and forth comments in the media.
