Guardiola Criticizes Real Madrid's Treatment of Ancelotti

Pep Guardiola reflected on his worst season at Manchester City and compared it with Real Madrid’s swift sacking of Carlo Ancelotti. Despite City finishing third, Guardiola noted he’d have been fired early in Spain. He defended the patience in English football and praised young talent Lamine Yamal, but warned against comparing him to Messi.

With the 2024–25 season marking one of Pep Guardiola’s toughest campaigns at Manchester City, the Catalan manager has voiced sharp criticism towards Real Madrid, particularly over the sacking of Carlo Ancelotti. Speaking to Premier Corner on DAZN, Guardiola reflected on City’s struggles — elimination from the Champions League in the Round of 16 by Madrid, exits from the League Cup in the same round, and a painful FA Cup final loss.

Despite a third-place Premier League finish securing Champions League qualification, Guardiola admitted he “couldn’t turn it around this time.” The most pointed moment came when he compared his situation to that in Spain. He claimed that, “At Barça or Madrid, I’d have been fired by October or November,” contrasting it with England’s patience toward managers.

He cited Ancelotti as an example — a coach who recently won both La Liga and the Champions League, yet was still dismissed and is now set to lead Brazil. Guardiola also addressed rising star Lamine Yamal, praising the 17-year-old’s maturity but insisted, “He’s not Messi — no one ever will be.” The City boss used the moment to call for long-term faith in coaching projects and subtly questioned the short-term mindset of Spanish clubs.