Joao Cancelo’s surprise move from Manchester City to Bayern Munich highlights the swift downfall of his relationship with the former champions’ manager, Pep Guardiola.
Shockwaves went through the footballing world when Joao Cancelo announced his temporary loan deal to Bayern Munich from Manchester City.
Just a few months ago, the Portuguese full-back seemed to be a shining fixture in Pep Guardiola’s team throughout the first half of the season, captivating viewers with his immense attacking talent.
However, following an unsatisfactory World Cup run with Portugal, an alteration was seen in Cancelo leading him to be dropped from the starting lineup.
The Athletic reported that Cancelo became more and more frustrated as he saw himself losing game time and reacted angrily.
This attitude eventually led Guardiola to view Cancelo as a motivational threat to City’s squad after his moody demeanour took hold during meetings and training sessions.
Added complications arose with Nathan Ake, usually a centre-back, playing as left back while 18-year-old Rico Lewis also got picked ahead of him.
These events lead to Cancelo’s exclusion from critical games against Tottenham Hotspur, Wolves FC and Arsenal FC before he eventually left for Bayern Munich with a permanent option attached depending on further performances at Germany’s top club side this season.
A sad turn of fate for a former Premier League champion but nonetheless it remains evident why Guardiola let him go.
Article updated 2 months ago. Content is written and modified by multiple authors.
