Nolito has admitted he didn’t fully enjoy his time at Manchester City due to “a lot of egos” in the dressing room.
RMC Sport cover comments from the former striker today, made in in an interview with the El After de Post United podcast.
Nolito was one of the first player’s targeted by Pep Guardiola when he arrived at the Etihad in 2016. He would only spend that season at the club, though.
A tally of six goals and five assists was not enough to keep him at Manchester City long-term, and he departed the following summer he joined Sevilla. He spent three years there before spells at Celta Vigo and UD Ibiza before retiring in 2023.
Why he wasn’t entirely happy
His time at Manchester City can be described as one of two halves. He enjoyed a prolific start to life at the club but that was followed by a swift decline into obscurity. The latter was partly due to personal struggles adapting to life in England.
He’s since been open about his time in the North West, admitting it was a year to forget. And it seems that opinion has not changed. Now, though, his focus is on the dressing room he played in.
“Some players had huge egos,” he said.
“We’d all take a shower and then everyone would leave immediately. It wasn’t a very close-knit locker room.
“But anyway, I was always with the Spanish guys, with Silva or Navas, and we shared a lot in the locker room.
“There were so many good players that I noticed there were a lot of egos. I saw a lot of things, but I prefer not to say anything. I think ego is a societal problem today.”
Tough competition likely played a part
High-level competition meant playing time was hard to come by. Nolito didn’t start a single Premier League game after December 2026.
The January arrival of Gabriel Jesus played a major part in that. And he thinks the lack of rhythm hindered him from getting himself steady.
“At the beginning, I played a lot, then less,” he added.
“Ultimately, these are top-level teams and the competition was tough. I didn’t adapt well, because if I don’t play… time…”