Manchester City got back to winning ways in the Champions League on Wednesday night, beating RB Leipzig 3-1 with two late winners and while praise will obviously be heaped on the goalscorers, manager Pep Guardiola focused more on one man in his post-match press conference: Rico Lewis.
Lewis is still only 18 years old but is already starting to become a more regular first-team player for Pep at fullback and after assisting another lad in Phil Foden for the opener against the German side, his coach had nothing but glowing words for his performance.
Answering media questions after the hard-fought victory, when asked about the Bury-born defender’s display, Guardiola simply began “What a player, what a player. 18 years old.
“I have been a manager for 14, 15 years, training unbelievable players. To find a player like him playing in the pockets, how he has to move in holding midfield, full-back coming inside moving in the spaces – he is one of the best I ever trained by far.”
"He didn't play much but he's going to play a lot"
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola hailed Rico Lewis as one of the best young players he's ever coached, after their 3-1 win at Leipzig.#ManCity#MCFC#bbcfootball
Pep says Rico Lewis is up there with the best has ever trained.
“He is a humble guy, doesn’t talk much”, added Pep but insisted that he “has the appreciation of all his mates.”
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“He didn’t play much this season [still managed six appearances in less than a dozen games into the season]… last season he was a key point and helped us understand what we should do in our build-up. Today was proof again… he hasn’t played as much [yet] but he is going to play a lot.”
The Catalan coach went on to say that “his composure from day one is always surprising” detailing how assistant coach Carlos Vicens suggested bringing him because he can play on either flank.
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“Then he played against Bayern Munich at right-back and I thought this guy is good!”, continued the 52-year-old, explaining how Lewis then began training with the first team and suddenly realised, “Oh, this guy is good!”. Speaking to a TNT Sport reporter after full-time on, he had a similarly amazing reaction:
"Everyone was perfect!" 👌
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola was in a great mood after securing all three points at RB Leipzig… with some hilarious praise for Rico Lewis 😅#UCL | @archiert1pic.twitter.com/v8EI5rjwWM
While he may have joked that the academy product might not be the most physical of players when it comes to his stature just yet, he reiterated that he is an “amazing, outstanding player” and to stumble across a player that moves so well in the middle whilst still be so good at defending is “difficult to find”.
Adding that he can also “play in four or five different positions” and is “not scared” on the pitch, he summed things up by saying the youngster pretty much “has everything”. High praise indeed.
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Although the City boss himself held his hands up for possibly overexaggerating in his similarly hyping up new signing Matheus Nunes’ ability last month, Pep insisted that Lewis “deserves all the praise from ourselves and the media”.
You can watch the highlights of City’s 3-1 win over RB Leipzig below:
Featured Image — Manchester City/Rico Lewis (via Instagram)
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Pep Guardiola says he won’t manage another club after Manchester City
Danny Jones
Pep Guardiola has claimed he won’t manage another team after his tenure at Manchester City is up, so enjoy the ride whilst you can, Blues.
One of the most successful managers in history, Pep Guardiola is undoubtedly one of the greatest managers to have ever lived but it looks like the 53-year-old is now starting to think about life after football – or at least after Man City.
Guardiola recently extended his stay at the Eithad with a new two-year contract but it did look like he was ramping up to leave until the 11th hour and it now seems as though his time at City will be his last in the world of club football.
Pep Guardiola claims that he won't manage another club after Manchester City…
When asked about his future by his fellow compatriot, Pep said: “I’m going to stop. I am not going to join another team, I’m not going to leave to go to another country. I won’t have the energy. For now, I’m still here but to think about starting again, the whole process of training – no, no.”
Energy has been a defining factor for so many managers of late, with long-time rival Jürgen Klopp having departed Liverpool FC as a result of the fatigue caused by the job.
With countless cups, six Premier League titles and a trio of Champions League trophies to his name, Pep has pretty much won everything there is to win, which will no doubt factor into his eventual decision.
That being said, Pep did go on to suggest that however long he stays in the sport after his time in Manchester is all said and done, his next role would likely be in international football as leading a country to major silverware is the one thing he hasn’t achieved just yet.
City have managed to get points back on the board in their last two games, notching a much-needed 3-0 against Nottingham Forest before only managing to scrape a draw against Crystal Palace this past weekend, but with a derby approaching this Sunday, all eyes are on Manchester.
With the title race already looking like a nigh on an insurmountable task given the points they’ve already drooped (even with Liverpool’s recent slip-up), Pep’s stress and energy are already pushed to their limits as it is.
You might only get a couple more years with the tactical genius, City fans, so make the most of it.
You can watch Pep Guardiola’s full interview with Dani García down below – though it is in Spanish so you will need subtitles on:
Manchester City’s alleged charges have been increased to 130
Danny Jones
Manchester City’s hearing over their 115 alleged breaches of FFP (financial fair play) has ended and the outcome is that their charges have now been increased to 130.
Not exactly what Blues will want to hear.
The hearing officially concluded last Friday, 6 December after a 12-week process to determine whether they broke Premier League regulations regarding PSR (profit and sustainability), with accusations initially spanning a nine-year period.
However, rather than making any progress when it comes to clearing their record, it looks as though the opposite has happened.
Man City are now alleged to have committed 130 breaches of Premier League rules with both parties still able to enter an official appeal.
The hearing was held at the International Dispute Resolution Centre near St Paul’s in London, kicking off in September before coming to a close on Friday, 6 December.
Fans will no doubt have been hoping for and maybe even expecting a much more positive update, especially after having been successful in their recent case against the division regarding sponsorship deals and Associated Party Transactions (APT).
As well as the number of alleged breaches having risen to 130, the period of offence is also now said to have been extended, jumping from just under a decade to a total of 14 years.
The Times writer Martyn Ziegler says the club could quietly learn of their fate as soon as next month and even though a final decision still isn’t expected until spring 2025, should either side appeal the final outcome, this will likely draw out proceedings for several more months.
Man City’s charges have gone from 115 to 130. (Credit: The Manc Group)
For context, City still deny all of the claims laid against them, which include failing to provide accurate financial information for as many as nine seasons, full details of players’ wages, hiding the true figure former manager Roberto Mancini was paid for her service, as well as failing to cooperate with the Premier League’s investigation and UEFA’s FFP rules.
The club were slapped with a two-year European ban back in 2020 and have been fined by the European footballing body previously, but that ban was ultimately dropped and even their most recent financial punishment was dropped from £30 million to just £10m – chump change given their spending power.
It still remains unclear what exactly will happen to the reigning English champions if they are found guilty but with Pep Guardiola’s also struggling for form of late, having lost five games in a row for the first time in the Catalan’s career, those inside the Etihad could do with some good news.
The blue moon that has loomed over Manchester in recent years is looking a little lost behind the clouds at the minute.
Danny Jones -
5th October 2023 
