Pep Guardiola provides hilarious response after fan calls him out for tactics ruining ‘flair’ players during public Q&A session in New York
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has provided a hilarious response after a fan called him out for his tactics ruining flair players during a recent Q&A session in New York. The Spaniard joked that it is good that people blame him for playing many passes.
The argument that football is losing its flair due to managers now setting their teams up to focus on winning with little to no attention on entertaining the fans have gained momentum once again.
Earlier this month, Uruguay manager Marcelo Bielsa echoed this sentiment as he complained about the less attractive state of the sport right now.
Pep Guardiola is one of the notable figures who get pointed at the most because he largely prioritizes keeping possession by playing plenty of short passes, which appears boring to many.
The Manchester City manager participated in a Q&A session with basketball legend Clyde Frazier, Dallas Mavericks coach God Shammgod and NBA skills coach Chris Brickley in New York this week when he was asked about 'flair' players.
The Spaniard began the segment by saying that football isn't all about passing before a fan interrupted saying:
"What happened to flair players?" People tell me you have to pass, pass, pass. Like, they blame you [for it] (via SPORTbible)."
Pep Guardiola responded hilariously by saying:
"They blame me? That's good, yeah blame me. No problem."
The fan hit back, saying:
"I need the flair."
The Q&A Session took place at a Block Party in New York on Thursday afternoon as Manchester City unveiled their third kit for the 2024-25 campaign. Erling Haaland, Jack Grealish and Oscar Bobb were also in attendance and got to link up with two-time NBA Dunk champion Mac McClung on a custom-built court.
What's next for Pep Guardiola and Manchester City?
Preparations for the new season continue for Pep Guardiola and Manchester City. Up next, they will take on Serie A giants AC Milan at the Yankee Stadium today (July 26) as part of their preseason campaign.
That will be followed by another promising fixture versus the Spaniard's former club FC Barcelona at the Camping World Stadium on Wednesday, July 31. The Cityzens will then conclude their preseason with a clash with Chelsea on August 3.
The new season will begin with the Community Shield face-off with local rivals Manchester United on August 10, followed by their opening fixture of the Premier League against the Blues at Stamford Bridge on August 18.