'I'm sorry': Pep Guardiola apologizes to Kalvin Phillips for overweight comment | city of manchester
Pep Guardiola belatedly apologized to Kalvin Phillips for saying the player was overweight upon returning from the World Cup with England in December 2022.
The midfielder is still under contract with Manchester City but last month agreed a loan deal to West Ham until the end of the season after managing just two league starts in a miserable 18-month spell at the Etihad Stadium. Phillips, however, has had an inauspicious start to his time at the Hammers, making two high-profile errors that led to goals being conceded. Then they showed him a red card Sunday's 2-0 defeat at Nottingham Forest.
Phillips gave a interview this month in which he admitted that Guardiola's comments had “a big blow to my confidence” and revealed that his family had been particularly unhappy after the subsequent backlash. “He was right to do it, but there are different ways to do it,” the 28-year-old said. “It was just a misunderstanding and I think I was very frustrated because I came back 1.5kg over my target weight.”
In a press conference before City first division In the match against Brentford on Tuesday night, Guardiola admitted that he now regrets what he said. “Yes, I'm sorry. Once every eight years is not bad. But I'm very sorry. I apologize,” he said. “I spoke to him before (making the comment). “I never, ever talk to the team before saying something here, or to the player for that matter.”
Phillips was a £42million signing for City from Leeds in July 2022 and had been a mainstay in Gareth Southgate's England team before his problems in Manchester.
Rodri tended to fill the position Phillips thrived in at Leeds and when City further strengthened their midfield with deals for Mateo Kovacic and Matheus Nunes from Chelsea and Wolves respectively last summer, the writing seemed to be on the wall. Phillips was linked with Newcastle and Juventus before finally sealing a loan move to West Ham.
Guardiola added that City are under “the same pressure” as always, despite having dropped points with the 1-1 draw at home against Chelsea while the rivals for the title, Liverpool and Arsenal, achieved resounding victories. City are four points behind Jürgen Klopp's league leaders with a game in hand.
“We have the opportunity to climb to second position, be one point ahead of Arsenal, get closer to Liverpool and there are still many games to play,” Guardiola added. “The reality is that, since we lost against Aston Villa, we haven't lost a single game and in the games we tied we were better.
“When we win the next game, we will have the same pressure. In the last 15 games we won 13 and tied two, and the two that we tied we played to win the game. The pressure is the same, there is no difference.
“Are we going to win the Premier League? I don't know. Will Man City win the Premier League over the next 10 years? No, it's not going to happen. But we are still there and that is why we continue. We are not satisfied with the result (from Chelsea), but it is part of the game and it is not played alone. We played well, we didn't have many chances, many more in the second half than in the first. This has to continue to improve and be focused (for us) to be in the race for the title. “I'm the first to demand that my team do it for 95 minutes.”
Guardiola confirmed that the Brentford game would come too soon for Jack Grealish and Josko Gvardiol, who are injured, but otherwise has a fit team to choose from. The defending champions won the second leg 3-1 earlier this month thanks to a Phil Foden hat-trick.
