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‘It was stupid… I’m ashamed’: Pep Guardiola apologizes to Steven Gerrard, ‘his children, wife and family’, for digging up the infamous lapse and asking ‘was it our fault?’ as he raged over the Man City charges
- Guardiola referenced Gerrard’s infamous slip at a press conference last week.
- was defending his team after they were accused of financial violations
- However, he has not apologized for his ‘unnecessary and stupid comments’
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has apologized for making “unnecessary and stupid comments” about Steven Gerrard.
Guardiola made reference to Gerrard on Friday morning, shortly after Manchester City were charged with allegedly breaching 115 of the Premier League’s financial rules.
Guardiola referred to the moment Gerrard lost his balance and allowed Demba Ba to score at Anfield when defending City’s charges during their title-winning 2014 season.
However, Guardiola has now apologized to Gerrard for his comments, claiming the former Liverpool captain “didn’t deserve it” and was “ashamed” of himself for demoting the 42-year-old.
Guardiola’s initial comments were: ‘I don’t know if we are responsible for Steven Gerrard’s slip. You know that situation at Anfield? I didn’t want it out of respect for Steven Gerrard, but is it our fault?’
City boss Pep Guardiola has apologized for making ‘stupid comments’ about Steven Gerrard
The Manchester City boss referenced Steven Gerrard’s most infamous moment in his argument against the club being stripped of their titles retrospectively.
Gerrard’s mistake allowed Demba Ba to score for Chelsea as Liverpool lost 2-0
However, he did apologize to Gerrard during his press conference ahead of Wednesday’s Premier League clash with Arsenal.
The city manager said: “I apologize to Steven Gerrard for my unnecessary and stupid comments I made last time about him.” I’m ashamed of myself, because he doesn’t deserve it.
City received legal documents from the Premier League on Monday of last week, announcing charges for alleged breaches of financial rules that could lead to a points deduction or expulsion from the top flight.
The charges against the reigning champions relate to financial information on revenue, details of coach and player remuneration, UEFA regulations, profitability and sustainability and cooperation with Premier League investigations.
A league statement said the alleged violations occurred from September 2009 through the 2017-18 season and will be referred to an independent commission.
It adds that the club is alleged to have breached league rules that require the provision “in the best faith” of “accurate financial information that gives a true and fair view of the club’s financial position.”
Fans took to social media shortly after the news was announced to call on Manchester City to have their titles stripped. However, Guardiola did not agree and he referenced Gerrard’s slip when defending his team.
Gerrard’s slip saw Demba Ba open the scoring for Chelsea at Anfield in late April 2014, with Liverpool within games of lifting their first Premier League title.
Guardiola has won four league titles since joining City and said moments belong to the club
If found guilty of the recent charges, City could face a points deduction or a sending off.
Having lost 2-0 to Chelsea, they traveled to Crystal Palace where they conceded a three-goal lead to draw 3-3, leaving City to capitalize and win the league.
The City manager added that their ‘moments’, both good and bad, belong to them as a club and cannot be taken away, ‘regardless of the verdict’.
“Those moments belong to us regardless of the sentence,” he said. ‘The goal of [Sergio] Omen [2012]Steven Gerrard’s slip at Anfield [2014]. Was it our fault?
The Premier League will decide, but I know the effort we put in, what we won and the way we won it. If something happened in 2009 or 2010, it’s not going to change for a second. We lived these moments together for years.
More to follow…