Pep Guardiola and Antonio Rudiger: Pleasant banter after City vs Real
Thomas Siniecki, Media365: published on Wednesday, March 18, 2026 at 1:56 pm
The tone was light-hearted between Manchester City’s coach and the devilish Antonio Rudiger, known for his good moves.
Pep Guardiola went to greet all the Real Madrid players following Manchester City’s exit at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday night in the Champions League round of 16 (1-2, after a 3-0 defeat in the first leg in Spain). It’s a common courtesy between players and coaches who know each other well. Everything was going well on the field, the Spanish coach was even smiling despite the disappointment, until Antonio Rudiger stepped up…
“We will be back in the Champions League”
The fiery German defender from Real Madrid apparently did not appreciate something and made it known to the City coach, which made Guardiola smile even more. But this time, it was a yellow smile. Several players had to intervene, especially Alvaro Arbeloa, the coach of Real Madrid, to separate and calm down his player. The situation did not escalate, however Pep Guardiola couldn’t resist blowing a kiss to his adversary from a distance:
It’s not the main concern for the Catalan coach, who has seen it all and promises that Manchester City will “return next season”, putting an end to rumors of him leaving at the end of the 2025-2026 season due to fatigue: “The future looks promising. Let’s make the right decisions for next season, and we will be back in the Champions League. That’s what we have to do. I am part of this club, as I was at Barcelona and Bayern. I am incredibly attached to Manchester City, I have been here for a decade and I am part of it.” Pep Guardiola only has one year left on his contract. There’s no doubt he will have the chance to meet the delightful Antonio Rudiger again, whether at Manchester City or elsewhere. Who knows, maybe he will even end up coaching him…
