Champions League draw extended winless streak in miserable season for City
Guardiola shocked fans after game by appearing with cuts on his head and face
LISTEN NOW: It's All Kicking Off! The reason why Pep Guardiola would walk from Manchester City
By SAM LAWLEY
Published: 10:41 EST, 20 December 2024 | Updated: 10:41 EST, 20 December 2024
Guillem Balague has lifted the lid on how Pep Guardiola ended up cutting his nose after Manchester City's humiliating draw against Feyenoord in an image which shocked football fans.
The picture of the Spaniard sporting scratches on his head and a gash on his nose came to sum up City's woes this season which reached a new level after the side blew a three-goal lead in the Champions League.
An Erling Haaland brace came either side of a deflected Ilkay Gundogan volley to put the home side seemingly out of reach of their Dutch opponents.
But two mistakes from defender Josko Gvardiol put the visitors back in it before Ederson missed his clearance and David Hancko stroked home a dramatic equaliser.
Guardiola caused concerns after the debacle as he appeared in a press conference with marks on his head and face and joked that he wanted to 'harm himself'.
Now Spanish journalist Balague has explained how the manager got the cuts, while also giving an insight into his compatriot's personality.
Guillem Balague revealed how Pep Guardiola cut his nose in Man City's draw with Feyenoord
The Spanish journalist also lifted the lid on the City manager's 'self-doubt' and 'nervousness'
Balague explained that the cuts had come as a result of a 'nail that was far too sharp'
He said: 'You know he kind of scratches his head? Don't ask me why, it's a gesture of nervousness.
'Normally nothing happens but that day he had one nail that was far too sharp, and that one went onto the top of a mark on the nose.
'If you remember, he started the game with a cover on the nose and that was because the day before there was an argument, but a football argument, about positional football and where he had to play, with Kyle Walker.
'And he just got nervous and again marked his nose and they put a cover on it - it was in his own office.
'So at the end of the game he goes and starts scratching his head, nervous, tense, and goes to the press conference and his right-hand man sends him a photo and says, "what have you got in your head?", because already in the photo you could see all the marks - it must have been after when he was talking to Sky.
'And Pep looks at the photo and after the press conference he goes to the coaching room and there was nothing in his head - it was all gone. It was just marks that were the consequence of what he had walked into the changing room. So it was all gone.'
Balague also revealed that even Guardiola, who has won six league titles at the Etihad, as well as three Champions League trophies across his career, experiences self-doubt.
'It was one of those,' he added. 'It shows that he's tense, he's nervous of course.
City's winless run was extended to six games after the humialiting draw against Feyenoord
The team's shocking run has not improved and they lost 2-1 to rivals United last Sunday
'And you know he doubts hugely himself. He always did. He thinks,"I'm not going to be able to give this out", and he needs a little bit of support from people.'
After the match, Guardiola said: 'We are not able to win games. As a team, always we find a way over the years. Right now, in another situation, nothing happens.
'It was not necessary to say anything to them - they know it perfectly.
'Three episodes and they (Feyenoord) didn’t allow us to win. It is what it is and so difficult to swallow. It will be a tough season for us and we have to accept it. We have to lift them (for Anfield). I have to lift my players. It is my job.'
The draw last month might have ended a five-match losing streak but was itself one of the lowpoints of a miserable season so far for City.
Things have not improved for Guardiola's men since that day, with defeats against Liverpool, Juventus and Man United only broken up by a rare victory over Nottingham Forest.
Pep GuardiolaManchester City