Pep Guardiola ‘Fine’ Despite Sleep and Diet Issues Linked to Team’s Form

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola, who has secured 18 trophies since joining the club in 2016, has stated he is “fine,” even as he acknowledged that his sleep and diet are being impacted by what he described as the most challenging period of results in his entire managerial career. During an interview with former Italy international Luca Toni for Amazon Prime Sport, conducted before Wednesday’s Champions League loss to Juventus, Guardiola discussed the personal toll of City’s recent decline in performance. Guardiola revealed that his mental state was “ugly,” his sleep had become “worse,” and he was consuming lighter meals due to digestive problems. Manchester City is set to face Manchester United in Sunday’s derby at Etihad Stadium, having achieved only one victory in their last 10 matches. The defeat against Juventus raises the possibility that the team might not secure a play-off position in the Champions League. When asked to elaborate on his previous remarks to Toni, Guardiola reiterated: “I’m fine.” He further explained, “In our jobs we always want to do our best or the best as possible. When that doesn’t happen you are more uncomfortable than when the situation is going well, always that happened.” Guardiola added, “In good moments I am happier but when I get to the next game I am still concerned about what I have to do. There is no human being that makes an activity and it doesn’t matter how they do.” Guardiola emphasized that City must improve their defense and “avoid making mistakes at both ends.” To illustrate this point, he referenced the third game of City’s current poor run, against a Sporting team managed by Ruben Amorim, who will be in the United dugout this weekend. In that match in Lisbon, City dominated the first half and took the lead with an early goal from Phil Foden, appearing to be in control. However, they subsequently conceded three goals in 11 minutes, spanning either side of half-time, leading to Sporting’s eventual 4-1 victory. “I would like to play the game like we played in Lisbon on Sunday, believe me,” Guardiola stated, as he anticipates potentially having only three fit defenders available for the derby, with Nathan Ake and Manuel Akanji dealing with injury concerns. A potential source of comfort for City is the understanding that United’s current form is also not exceptional. United’s comeback Europa League win against Viktoria Plzen on Thursday marked their third victory under Amorim’s brief tenure, but only one of these wins has occurred in the Premier League, where United have suffered defeats in their last two games against Arsenal and Nottingham Forest. Despite this, Guardiola has observed improvements within the Manchester United squad. He commented, “It’s already there. You see all the patterns, the movements, the runners and the pace. He will do a good job at United, I’m pretty sure of that.” Guardiola confirmed that the club has offered support to captain Kyle Walker after the City defender brought attention to the racial abuse he encountered on social media following the trip to Juventus. Guardiola declared, “It’s unacceptable. Not because it’s Kyle – for any human being.” He concluded, “Unfortunately it happens many times in the real world. It is not necessary to say he has the support of the entire club. It is completely unacceptable and we give our support to him.”