Pep Guardiola stated Jack Grealish was excluded from Manchester City’s Club World Cup squad following honest discussions but claimed he could stay at City and return as the player who helped claim the treble.
In 35 appearances for City last term Grealish made only 16 starts, with six of these in the league, the 29-year-old’s drop in status underlined by him being an unused replacement in the 1-0 FA Cup final defeat to Crystal Palace. Guardiola was asked why he left Grealish off City’s bid to claim the inaugural 32-team cup, which begins against Wydad AC at Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field on Wednesday at midday local time.
“He had a conversation with the club and [we] decided [what was for] the best,” said Guardiola. “Jack is an exceptional player. The only reason why he didn’t play last season is of course my decision. We decide that he has to play. The club was honest, he was honest. Incredible love and respect [for him] and we decide the best is to stay [behind] and have a place [at home] that he can feel like he can come back to be the player like he was in the year of the treble or all his career in Aston Villa.
“Without him it would have been more difficult in the year of the treble [2022-2023]. The fact is in the last two seasons he didn’t play much minutes. He has to come back to play and have the butterflies in his stomach that he can play every three days and show again the quality he has.”
Guardiola was asked if this meant away from City. “I don’t know,” the Catalan said. “Now we decide don’t come here and what happens I don’t know in the end. If we don’t find [another solution], he’s a player for Man City and he will be back.”
Last season City’s captain, Kyle Walker, left on loan in January. Guardiola hinted this was one reason why he has decided a captaincy pool of Rodri, Ilkay Gundogan, Bernardo Silva and Ruben Dias for the tournament rather than letting the players vote on it as usual.
“For the first time in my career I decided it would be my captain – I didn’t like what happened last season,” Guardiola said. “Sometimes I want to be the boss, and this season I decided to do it, so I chose the four captains and at the end of the season, this [Club] World Cup, maybe we will choose one or two more.”
He said Erling Haaland will one day be the captain: “He’s so young. But he has to learn what it means to be a captain because he will hopefully be here for many years and sooner or later he will take that position.
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“When you have Bernardo, Rodri, Ruben and Gundogan he will learn. He’s incredibly well respected. I have the feeling thinking for the future that he needs to learn what is best for the team. To put the team, your mates, in front of you. You have to ask what is best for the team. When you do that you never make a mistake.”
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