Pep Guardiola has hit back at Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s comments about his “ego” stopping Erling Haaland from reaching his potential.
Pep Guardiola has hit back at Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s comments about his “ego” stopping Erling Haaland from reaching his potential.
Ibrahimovic questioned Guardiola’s ability to improve Manchester City’s goal machine this week, suggesting he puts himself before his players. “Is Guardiola able to improve him? That depends on the ego that Guardiola has,” he said. “If he allows himself to be bigger than Haaland or not. He didn’t allow me or the others to be as big.”
Guardiola sarcastically responded in his press conference on Friday (November 4), telling reporters: “He is right, he is completely right – in this club, in this team, my ego is beyond every other person.
“I don’t like it when Erling scores three goals, and all the highlights are for him. I’m so jealous! Honestly, so jealous! I said afterwards ‘Erling, please no more goals, otherwise the Sun and Daily Mail won’t talk about me’.”
AC Milan striker Ibrahimovic clashed with Guardiola during their time together at Barcelona, later writing some scathing comments about his former boss in his 2011 autobiography. He compared Guardiola’s treatment of him to “buying a Ferrari and driving it like a Fiat”.
Guardiola joked that he can add to his autobiography, continuing: “He knows me perfectly. He can write another book. My ego is (whoosh).”
Haaland has been on fire since joining City in the summer, scoring 17 goals in his first 11 Premier League games and another five in the Champions League too.
