The City boss made the claim after his side were beaten by Tottenham in the Carabao Cup.
Pep Guardiola has clarified that his remark suggesting Manchester City lost last season’s FA Cup final due to being a “little bit hungover” was intended as a joke.
The City manager made this statement following his team’s defeat to Tottenham in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday. This loss marked the champions’ first since they were unexpectedly defeated by their rivals Manchester United at Wembley in May, just a week after securing the Premier League title. “It was a joke!” Guardiola emphasized when questioned about his earlier comment during a press conference on Friday.
“Naturally, we were prepared. They won fairly, but after clinching the Premier League, we had to celebrate. My players excel on the field, and they are equally commendable off it! They needed to celebrate; otherwise, what is the purpose of playing for 11 months to achieve that victory?
“It was just one or two days, yet they trained exceptionally well in the days leading up to the final, and United performed better; they deserved their win.
“We could analyze certain moments, but they earned the victory. We congratulated them. I will not claim we were unprepared – we were ready, and they simply outperformed us. That is the reality.”
As City faces a series of injury challenges ahead of their Premier League match against Bournemouth on Saturday, several key players, including Kevin De Bruyne, Kyle Walker, Jack Grealish, Jeremy Doku, Manuel Akanji, Josko Gvardiol, and Savinho, are considered doubtful. Additionally, Ballon d’Or winner Rodri and Oscar Bobb are long-term absentees.
These injury issues may necessitate that other regular players take on more responsibility than is ideal, potentially pushing through discomfort. Guardiola remarked, “It’s here (touches head). They are accustomed to playing with some pain.
“Injuries occur at times – that is a reality. When they do, caution is necessary, but there are instances when one must play despite discomfort.
“Rafael Nadal has played throughout his career with pain and has won numerous grand slams.
“In modern football, one must learn to manage this; otherwise, it becomes challenging to maintain performance while playing every three days at top clubs.”
