- Cancelo is currently playing for Barcelona from Manchester City for a season
- The Portuguese full-back will return this summer to an uncertain future
- England’s 2004 European Championship team were great on paper, but they didn’t win. Can this crop do it this summer? Listen to the It’s All Kicking Off podcast
Joao Cancelo has reportedly delivered an explosive tirade against his parent club Manchester City, accusing manager Pep Guardiola of telling ‘lies’.
The Portugal international is currently on a season-long loan to Barcelona after spending the second half of last year at Bayern Munich.
Reports suggested Guardiola was unhappy with Cancelo’s reaction to being dropped from City’s starting XI during their Treble-winning season.
However, in an interview with the Portuguese publication A Bolathe 29-year-old has taken exception to Guardiola’s claims.
He said: ‘Lies have been told! I havehave ever been a bad teammate for them and you can ask (Nathan) Aké or Rico (Lewis). I have no superiority or inferiority complex towards them, but that is the manager’s opinion.
Joao Cancelo has accused Pep Guardiola of telling ‘lies’ and branded Man City ‘ungrateful’
Cancelo is still under contract with Manchester City, but will be loaned to Barcelona this season
Cancelo also spent the second half of last season at Bayern Munich, where he missed out on Man City’s Treble win
‘I stayed because it’s not true. I think Man City were a bit ungrateful to me when they said that because I was a very important player in the years I was there.
‘I have never failed in my commitment to the club, to the fans and I have always given everything. I remember one time I was robbed and attacked and the next day I was playing in the Emirates against Arsenal.
‘These are things you don’t forget, I left my wife and daughter home alone, terrified. People will only remember this because Mr Guardiola has much more power than me when he says something and I prefer to keep it to myself.’
Cancelo stressed that he ‘wishes’ everything goes well at Man City, but also added that he made the right choice to leave on loan in January 2023 despite missing out on the Treble.
He said: ‘Certain things dictated that I was loaned to Bayern Munich last year. I don’t regret it, even if City won the Champions League. I feel like I made the right choice, that I went to a club that really wanted me, even before I extended my contract. It was a club that gave me a lot in the six months I was there.’
After his time at Bayern Munich, he was loaned out to Barcelona, where he took a lower salary due to the club’s financial problems.
After Cancelo left on loan last season, Guardiola said: ‘I wish him all the best. He has been an incredible figure in winning two Premier League titles.
‘After the World Cup we started playing in different patterns and I gave more time to other players.
Cancelo will return to Man City this summer, although it seems likely he will leave the club
‘Everyone has their own personality. He loves to play, he trains the best, but he has to play to be happy. That’s why we decided together to let him go to Munich.’
Cancelo will return to Man City this summer, although it seems likely he will leave the club.
Barcelona president Joan Laporta has revealed their plans to keep Cancelo next season, although the club’s financial situation could pose an obstacle.