Pep Guardiola has made a grovelling public apology to former Liverpool star Steven Gerrard for referencing his notorious slip that cost his team the 2014 Premier League title.
And the Manchester City manager claims he feels “ashamed” by his comments and has apologised personally to the former England star and his family.
Gerrard’s memorable error, in a game against Chelsea, opened the way for Manuel Pellegrini’s City to overtake Liverpool in the chase for the title that year and was referenced by Guardiola on Friday.
The current City boss sarcastically asked whether City were to blame for that error, in the wake of his club being charged with 115 alleged financial fair play irregularities by the Premier League last week.
But Guardiola, speaking before his press conference ahead of his team’s visit to Arsenal, launched into an extraordinary apology.
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“He knows how I admire him and his career for what he has done for this country I am living in.
“I am ashamed of myself for what I said because he doesn’t deserve it. I truly believe my comments I said in my previous conference that I defend my club but I didn’t represent my club well by putting his name in this stupid comment.
“I apologise to him and I said it to him personally, but I comment publicly as well. I am so sorry to him, his wife Alex, kids and family.”
.@dembabafoot v Liverpool.
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) April 27, 2020
Six years ago today! pic.twitter.com/SR2aJfr5wP
Guardiola’s comments on Friday came during an emotive press conference in which he made an impassioned defence of his club following the unprecedented Premier League charges.
He was in the midst of describing how the charges would never detract from the pleasure of having won the trophies that the club has collected under its Abu Dhabi ownership, when he referenced the Gerrard slip.
“I don’t know if we are responsible for Steven Gerrard slipping at Anfield. Was that our fault? I have respect for Steven Gerrard – but that moment belongs to us,” said Guardiola on Friday.
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