Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola joked that he missed the nine-goal thriller between Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich on Tuesday (April 28) when he opted instead to watch Stockport County take on Port Vale ahead of his side’s Premier League game against Everton. City are currently three points behind leaders Arsenal and the title race is up for grabs.
Despite the exciting PSG-Bayern clash, Guardiola was seen in a light-hearted mood as he explained his decision to attend the English League One game rather than watch one of Europe’s biggest club football matches, which ended in a dramatic 5-4 scoreline. Stockport lost the match 1–2.
Speaking to the media ahead of the Everton game, Guardiola was quoted by ESPN as saying: “The day before I saw the calendar, the PSG-Bayern game, and I said: ‘What a disaster, the managers are not good, the players really s***!’ I am in love with English football and I went to see Stockport.
Looking relaxed, the City boss also played down any frustration at the fixture overload as his side continued their efforts in several competitions. City are expecting a challenging end to the season after Premier League games against Crystal Palace and Bournemouth were postponed to their FA Cup final against Chelsea.
Pep Guardiola: “The day before I looked at the calendar I saw PSG-Bayern and I thought, ‘Well, it’s going to be a disastrous game’. The coaches are not good, the players are not good, so I thought of going to Stockport.” pic.twitter.com/8tV8MSRCY6— Matteo Di Gangi (@MatteoDG93) May 1, 2026
The reshuffle was necessary due to City’s progress in domestic cup competitions, but the updated schedule left them with three games in seven days between 13 and 19 May. Their season ends with a home game against Aston Villa on May 24.
City were reportedly unhappy with the timing postponed matches, particularly the Crystal Palace match originally scheduled for March, which they believe could have been moved earlier. However, Guardiola accepted the situation.
“It is what it is,” he said. “When we won trebles and fours, we always had a calendar like that. Of course it could be better, but I never expected help. We’ll go game by game. The broadcasters, the Premier League, whoever decides. We’ll be there with 11 players plus people on the bench.”
City remain in the title race, three points behind Arsenal but have a game in hand with five games remaining compared to Arsenal’s four. The gap could widen further before they face Everton on Monday night, but Guardiola insisted he is not concerned by the situation.
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Published on:
02 May 2026 11:58 IST
