Pep Guardiola will serve a two‑game ban after receiving his sixth yellow card of the Premier League season
Pep Guardiola
Pep Guardiola will serve a two‑game touchline ban(Image: Getty Images)
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Former referee Keith Hackett believes Pep Guardiola has little grounds for complaint after being cautioned against Newcastle United. The Manchester City boss earned a two-match ban after a sixth yellow card of the season but that will not apply for the Carabao Cup final.
Guardiola felt Jeremy Doku should have been awarded a free‑kick after being caught by his opponent, but referee Sam Barrott waved away the appeals. The decision sparked an angry reaction from the City manager, earning him a booking.
He will now be forced to watch from the stands for the Premier League match at West Ham next Saturday, as well as the FA Cup quarter-final in the first weekend of April.
Speaking about the incident, Hackett insisted managers know the disciplinary rules as clearly as players do.
"If you’re brandishing yellow cards, there has to be a deterrent, just like there is for players, who are banned after five cautions," he told Football Insider. "At the start of the season, clubs see these regulations.
"They can interject and say it's unacceptable. But once the season starts and you break that criterion, you get suspended.
"If Guardiola is unaware, someone at Man City might have whispered in his ear, asking if he realises that he’ll get done with another yellow card. There's a cynical element within the game, and Guardiola is making a point.
"It’s no different to the calls I got from Arsene Wenger during his time at Arsenal. Referees must protect players, and some skilful players are not protected.
"The danger here is that we don’t see what Guardiola sees, and that’s the outcome of the challenges on his players."
Reflecting on that incident, Guardiola said: "When Jeremy Doku dribbles past Trippier and goes alone to the box and is being pulled from behind, I'm not asking for a yellow card but please - it's a foul. I will defend my team. We have all the records in this country - all of them.
"Despite everything, we have all of them. And we have the record of the manager with the most yellow cards. I have always wanted this record and now I have it. Two games banned now and I will go on holiday."
He added: "Oh my god. Oh, my, God. There are things that still after ten years I cannot understand. Review the action, review the action. Of course I'm going to defend Doku, and all my teams. They continue to do it."
Earlier this season, the 55-year-old served a one‑match ban after accumulating three yellow cards. His third booking, picked up against Brighton & Hove Albion in the Premier League, meant he was forced to watch the FA Cup third‑round tie against Exeter City from the stands as the Blues ran out 10-1 winners.