Josep Guardiola has decided to step down as Manchester City manager at the end of this season, admitting ahead of Sunday’s final game that he had “hidden” regrets for nearly a decade.
Josep Guardiola expressed regret after announcing his departure (Image: Sky Sports)
Josep Guardiola has revealed that his only regret was sacking Joe Hart as Manchester City manager. In his first big decision since taking over as manager in the summer of 2016, Guardiola brutally told City legend Hart that he was not part of his plans.
The Catalans wanted a goalkeeper who was more comfortable with the ball, so City acquired Claudio Bravo from Barcelona, making Hart available for transfer. The England star, who spent 10 years at City, moved on loan to Turin in Italy and never played for the club again.
Meanwhile, Bravo struggled to adapt to the rigors of the Premier League, and City moved to sign Ederson the following year. The Brazilian remained Guardiola’s number one for the next eight seasons, helping the legendary manager win the majority of the club’s 20 trophies.
But if the City manager can turn back the clock, he will give Hart a chance. “I have something to confess. I only have one regret,” the 55-year-old told Sky Sports after confirming his departure from City after Sunday’s final game of the season against Aston Villa.
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“When I make many decisions and make mistakes, I have regrets. But there is one regret that I have kept deep inside for many years.
“I didn’t give Joe Hart the chance to be with him to prove how good of a goalie he is, and I should have.
“It wasn’t just out of respect for Claudio and out of respect for Eddie, who was important. But in that moment, I was like, ‘Okay, Joe, let’s do this together. If it doesn’t work, okay, it happened, so let’s change it.’
“But it happened. Sometimes in life you have to make decisions, and sometimes it’s not fair enough.”
Hart spent the 2016-17 season in Serie A before returning to the Premier League with West Ham after another ill-fated loan spell. It was during his time at West Ham that he lost his place in the England squad and missed out on the 2018 World Cup after being usurped by Jordan Pickford.
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Pep Guardiola will return and give Joe Hart a chance (Image: PAUL ELLIS/AFP via Getty Images)
Guardiola described Hart as a “legend” when he left City, having won two Premier League titles, one FA Cup and two League Cups. He also won the Premier League Golden Glove Award four times.
“It didn’t hurt, but it was frustrating,” Hart recalled on the High Performance Podcast. “But this great man, Josep Guardiola, had a vision that didn’t suit me. It was frustrating… What he said was: ‘He’s a good goalkeeper, but he’s not for me.’ That’s the reality.”
Hart had permanent spells at Burnley and Tottenham before finishing his playing career winning trophies with Celtic. He is currently a pundit and will take part in the BBC’s coverage of the World Cup this summer.
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