DETAILS have emerged of a furious X-rated rant between Phil Foden and Pep Guardiola.
Foden, 23, is expected to play a bigger role for City this season, after both Ilkay Gundogan and Riyad Mahrez left the club.
The young England star is expected to step either into Mahrez’s right-wing spot or play more centrally in the midfield, a position he has long coveted.
And now The Telegraph have revealed details of an argument that proved to be a turning point between Guardiola and Foden, where the City manager realised he could trust Foden as a more senior player.
The row took place during a Champions League tie with Porto, when Foden was criticised by Pep for not taking a free-kick in the precise way he demanded.
Guardiola scolded him from the touchline, saying: “F****** hell Phil! F****** hell!
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“You haven’t done what I said!”
Foden carried the grudge after the game and was fully dressed before some of his team-mates had even arrived back in the dressing room.
When Pep arrived in the changing rooms, an angry Foden was reportedly at the exit door and told him: “Don’t ever do that to me again!”
He followed that up by saying: “You wouldn’t do that to other players.”
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It is claimed Guardiola apologised profusely for his actions the next day, calling a team-meeting to apologise to Foden in front of his players and paid a self-imposed fine into the players’ kitty.
Privately though, Guardiola was impressed with Foden’s ability to stand up for himself.
Aged just 20 then, it marked the moment that Foden had gone from being a youth player to a man.
This upcoming season looks to be a make or break one for Foden to cement a place in Guardiola’s starting XI.
With Mahrez and Gundogan leaving, two places in the XI where Foden can operate have opened up.
But he will face competition, Mateo Kovacic was signed to fill the Gundogan-shaped hole in City’s midfield and the club have been linked with a move for Michael Olise to cover Mahrez’s spot.
His 32 appearances last season were the most he has made in a City shirt but he is still not an assured starter in the side.
The midfielder was left on the bench on Sunday for City’s Community Shield defeat to Arsenal and only came on in the 58th minute.
He will be hoping to nail down a place throughout the 2023-24 campaign.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
