"This is what we need" - Pep Guardiola opens up on row with Manchester City star in UCL S/F win over Real Madrid
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has opened up about his row with Kevin De Bruyne during the club's Champions League semi-final win against Real Madrid at the Etihad.
After drawing 1-1 with Real Madrid in the first leg in Spain, Man City won 4-0 at home to end Los Blancos' title defence and progress to the final for only the second time in their history.
During the second half of the game, Manchester City were lackadaisical in the midfield and began to give away possession too many times. W when De Bruyne made a mistake, Guardiola furiously shouted at him from the touchline.
The Belgian wasn't too happy to be pulled up and shouted back at his manager before he carried on with the game.
Speaking about that moment in a press conference ahead of the Cityzens' Premier League clash with Chelsea, Guardiola said that De Bruyne's outburst calmed him rather than offend him. He said (via Mirror):
"I love the action with Kevin. We shouted at each other and I love this from Kevin. Sometimes in some games, it is a little flat and I like this energy. It's not the first time he has shouted at me, how many times he shouts at me at the training ground. This is what we need from him."
He added:
"After that, he became the best. In the first actions, [Ilkay] Gundogan lost the ball and Kevin lost a few and we didn't need this kind of game. In the first half, we didn't make any of these actions and we spoke at half-time about that. I said to Kevin stay calm and then he made an incredible assist. It's football, it's nothing personal."
De Bruyne finished the match with one assist after his freekick was headed in by Manuel Akanji for Manchester City's third goal against the La Liga giants.
Manchester City's Pep Guardiola nominated for Manager of the Season award
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has been nominated by the Premier League for the Manager of the Season award.
The Cityzens are on the cusp of becoming only the second team in English football history to win the European treble. They are one win away from winning the Premier League title, the FA Cup, and the Champions League.
Arsenal's Mikel Arteta, Brighton & Hove Albion's Roberto De Zerbi, Fulham's Marco Silva, and Aston Villa's Unai Emery have also been nominated for the award.
Fans will decide on the winner through an online vote on the Premier League's official website, with the results said to be announced on Tuesday (30 May).