Aymeric Laporte says he “regretted leaving” Man City, describing the club as ‘the best in the world’
Athletic Bilbao star says the unique way City care for players ‘you only realise when you leave’
Guardiola used Laporte’s comments last week to hint that he intends to stay at the Etihad Stadium
Aymeric Laporte has admitted he regrets leaving Manchester City in 2023, describing his time at the Etihad Stadium as “one of the best things ever” in a new interview.
Laporte spent six years at Manchester City before departing for Al-Nassr in the summer of 2023, having been one of the cornerstones of Guardiola’s dominant sides that won five Premier League titles during his time in Manchester.
He has since moved to Athletic Bilbao, where he has rediscovered consistent first-team football but his words on City make clear the move away left a mark.
His comments arrived in the same week that Pep Guardiola delivered one of the most passionate tributes to Manchester City as a club that he has ever given publicly – using Laporte’s own words as a springboard to speak at length about what makes City extraordinary from the inside.
Laporte: I can’t say anything bad, it was one of the best things ever
Speaking to AS, Laporte was unambiguous about the feelings his departure from City ultimately stirred in him.
“I regretted leaving because I was at the best club in the world, City,” he said. “The way they take care of their players there is unique; you only realise it when you leave.
“When you arrive, it’s impressive and then once you get used to it, you see it as something commonplace, something normal.
“When you leave and you’re no longer experiencing that special routine they have there, you realise how lucky you are to have been at a great club like City – and like I said, for me it was an unforgettable experience.”
The honesty in Laporte’s words is striking. There is a familiar pattern in the testimonials of players who have left City in recent years – an initial sense of normality while at the club, followed by a dawning realisation of what they had once it was gone.
“I’m truly grateful to the club. I can’t say anything bad because it was one of the best things ever,” the defender added.
Ilkay Gundogan expressed something similar upon his return from Barcelona last summer, telling Guardiola that “Man City is top”.
What did Guardiola say in response to Laporte’s comments?
Guardiola referenced Laporte’s AS interview directly in his press conference prior to Monday’s thrilling 3-3 draw with Everton, describing it as “the biggest compliment we can get” and using it to explain his own decade-long commitment to the club.
“I wouldn’t have been 10 years even with good titles or prizes if I don’t have an incredible environment,” Guardiola said. “Now I still have incredible energy, still I’m so good to be here.”
The 55-year-old went on to speak at length about the player care department, the food, the CEO and chairman’s presence on matchdays and the club’s decision not to make a single redundancy during the COVID-19 pandemic – painting a picture of an organisation that operates with a care and consistency that sets it apart from anything else in football.
For Guardiola, Laporte’s words were not just a compliment to the club – they were, seemingly, a reminder of exactly why he has no intention of leaving any time soon.