Pep Guardiola Criticizes Match Ball Quality After City’s Community Shield Victory

Pep Guardiola Criticizes Match Ball Quality After City’s Community Shield Victory

In an unexpected twist following Manchester City‘s thrilling Community Shield victory against Manchester United at Wembley Stadium, manager Pep Guardiola expressed frustration—not with his team’s performance but with the footballs used during the match.

Despite the triumph, Guardiola was left disgruntled by what he described as subpar equipment.

The match saw City fall behind early to Erik ten Hag’s United, with the Premier League champions needing a late equalizer from Bernardo Silva to send the game into a penalty shootout.

City showed their composure from the spot, with stars like Erling Haaland, Kevin De Bruyne, and goalkeeper Ederson all converting their penalties. The victory marked City’s first Community Shield win since 2019, but Guardiola’s post-match comments were more focused on the ball than the silverware.

“It’s like a balloon… I’m sorry they decided to play with the ball, but it’s not good,” Guardiola told ITV in a post-match interview. His dissatisfaction with the Mitre-manufactured footballs was evident throughout the match, with the City boss frequently seen expressing his annoyance as passes went astray.

The match was a tense affair, with both teams battling hard for early-season bragging rights. Yet, Guardiola’s comments have cast a shadow over what was otherwise a successful day for the reigning Premier League champions. The City players, however, seemed untroubled by the ball’s quality during the penalty shootout, with only Bernardo Silva failing to convert his attempt.

Reflecting on the overall performance of his squad, Guardiola added, “I enjoyed the season against our rival in Manchester, and to start the season with a title is good. We are really pleased.”

He also praised United’s threat on the counter-attack: “We lost a lot of balls. After transitions, they are one of the best teams in the world. They are so dangerous to control. But in the end, we did it.”

Despite the win, Guardiola’s focus now shifts to the challenges ahead. “It is nice to play this game because it means you won something in the previous season. Now we see how the players come back. The target now is not to win the Premier League, it is ‘OK, next game… try and win it’. This is what we have to do,” he concluded.

Pep Guardiola Criticizes Match Ball Quality After City’s Community Shield Victory

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