The world of football can be a cruel and misunderstood place, something Joao Cancelo is quite familiar with. Whether it be on the economic level, the sporting level, or even on personal terms, it is hardly a stable environment even for clubs. Barcelona themselves have also faced many such dilemmas in the past and present too, and Cancelo is no exception.
However, even at Barcelona, players end up having falling outs as well just as Cancelo did. Players and coaches, who are both ultimately human, can end up having disagreements or spats as well. Reports in the past have even suggested that some heavyweights in the Barcelona locker room do not always see eye-to-eye with Xavi either.
On the other hand, certain disagreements can lead to permanent disbandment. One such disbandment led to Cancelo, an elite fullback, making his way over to Barcelona. That particular falling out took place with none other than Pep Guardiola at Manchester City, and it played a vital role in his loan to Barça.
In a recent interview, as highlighted by Mundo Deportivo, Cancelo has come clean about his issues with the former Barcelona coach and current Man City manager, as well as his own opinion about the ‘lies’ that were told about him:
“Lies were told! I have never been a bad teammate to Rico or Aké, and you can ask them. I don’t have any superiority or inferiority complex towards them, but that’s the coach’s opinion…”
This came as a response to the criticism launched towards him by Guardiola at a point stating that Cancelo’s own criticism towards his teammates was unjustified. To this, the Portuguese star states that those claims were nothing but fabricated words.
The current Barcelona fullback then further went on to state that he felt Manchester City had been ‘ungrateful’ to him as well:
“I was saddened because it’s not true, and think Manchester City was a bit ungrateful to me when they said that because I was a very important player during my time there. I never failed in my commitment to the club, and the fans, and always gave my all.”
“I remember a moment when I was assaulted and attacked, and the next day I was playing at the Emirates against Arsenal. These are things you don’t forget; I left my wife and daughter alone at home, terrified.”
Moreover, Cancelo stated that it was only due to Guardiola’s ‘power’ that people will remember his words and not the fullback’s:
“People will only remember this because Mr. Guardiola has much more power than me when he says something, and I prefer to keep it to myself. I prefer to know that I am telling the truth; I feel fulfilled with what I did.”
“I am a transparent person, I never lie. Life goes on, and I hope everything goes well because while I was there, I enjoyed my football and the team. They are still the favorites to win the Champions League.”
After representing Bayern Munich on a short six-month loan and winning the Bundesliga, Cancelo now focuses on Barcelona. Having won league titles in various other top leagues, he now claims he hopes to stay at Barça next season and win with them as well:
“… I had the pleasure of playing with this talented team (Bayern) and the happiness of winning a title with the club. I won in Italy, England, and Germany, and I would like to be here (Barcelona) and fight for titles in Spain next year.”
Moving forward, even Barcelona hopes to remain Cancelo’s home. In a recent interview, Barcelona president Joan Laporta has even confirmed some great news in regards to the Portuguese star’s continuity. For now, however, the focus remains on completing the ongoing campaign on the highest note possible.
