Pep Guardiola was made to respond after a journalist mocked Manchester City’s attendance at Wembley Stadium on Saturday afternoon following their late 2-1 comeback win against Southampton. The Cityzens booked their place in the FA Cup final after Jeremy Doku and Nico Gonzalez scored in the final 10 minutes to overturn their Championship opponents’ shock opener.
This weekend’s trip to the capital marked the travelling Etihad Stadium faithful’s 23rd visit to Wembley since Guardiola took charge ahead of the 2016/17 campaign. During that time, City have lifted the FA Cup three times and the League Cup five times, while also claiming three Community Shield titles to establish themselves as the dominant force in English football.
However, with an entire block unsold for Saturday’s match, one journalist took a swipe at Guardiola’s fanbase. The Man City manager’s response has emerged - and it makes for an interesting watch.
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Guardiola Reacts to Journalist's Quip about Poor Man City Attendance
Pep Guardiola
As the Spaniard took his seat in the press conference room following City’s win, Guardiola joked about the low turnout of journalists before quipping: “The game looks like it’s not important. But the good ones are here, right?”
That immediately opened the door for criticism of City’s fanbase, as one journalist replied: “Like your support!” It was unclear how Guardiola would react to the comment, especially given that the 55-year-old has previously spoken about his frustrations with the level of support from City fans. His response, therefore, was somewhat mixed as he reacted (watch the full exchange below):
"Yeah, yeah, maybe, yeah, you're right. They will come to the final, you will see."
There have been plenty of occasions in the past when Guardiola has called for more from the Etihad faithful. One notable example came in 2023, when City were booed off at half-time during a 4-2 win over Tottenham after going into the break behind. “They were silent for 45 minutes,” Guardiola said of the supporters in attendance.
“They booed because we were losing; maybe it’s the same as our team - they are so comfortable winning four Premier Leagues in five years,” he added, seemingly suggesting that the club’s success had led to a sense of saturation among the fanbase.
Journalist Slammed For Overlooking Fan Complications
Wembley Stadium
The journalist engaging in what was initially seen as 'banter' has since come under scrutiny on social media for failing to recognise the issues fans face in being able to make it to matches on a regular basis. Amos Murphy, a Man City supporter, Daily Express writer and founder of the City Ramble Podcast led the criticism, and wrote on X:
"As if an accredited reporter deemed it acceptable/funny to say that. Has the privilege of being paid to cover football, but fancied a pop at the fans who pay their cash on extortionate tickets/ travel."
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Others have echoed that sentiment, while suggestions over alternative venues for future FA Cup matches continue to surface amid City’s ongoing dominance. For a fanbase rooted in working-class tradition, repeated trips to London have become both a financial and logistical burden.
Average train fares from Manchester are around £100, while fixture scheduling rarely caters to supporters who need to plan ahead to have any realistic chance of getting to the capital and back in time.