A former Manchester City star has opened up on his feud with Pep Guardiola and how it led to his departure from the Premier League champions.
At the start of their treble-winning campaign during the 2022/23 season, one of the key players for the Spanish tactician was João Cancelo. The attacking full-back was instrumental in the team's build-up play and regularly contributed to goals despite being a defender.
However, halfway through that season, the Portuguese full-back lost prominence within Guardiola's setup and was sent on loan to Bayern Munich. He returned to the Mancunian side at the end of that season but did not stay for much longer, as he was shipped off to Barcelona in the following campaign.
It was after his move to Catalonia that it emerged the fallout between the two was due to a difference in philosophy. Now in the Saudi Pro League with champions Al-Hilal, the 30-year-old has shed further light on what led to his exit from the Etihad Stadium.
"We had differences, not a clash; we had different opinions," Cancelo told Marca.
"I have a very strong personality and so does he [Guardiola], but he's the one in charge.
"Each of us took our own paths, but I thank God for having worked with him. I felt important in this group. He made me grow as a person and as a player."
While he admitted that he and Guardiola had differences in their approach to football philosophy, he acknowledged that the three-time UEFA Champions League winner was a tactical genius.
"He's a genius, a world leader in coaching. The best moments of my career were at Manchester City. I went to training and matches, enjoying myself.
"But I didn't want to stay at Manchester City, and they didn't want me to stay either. So there were several reasons for me to go to Al Hilal."
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