‘Never so angry’ – Guardiola criticises national team coaches | OneFootball

Pep Guardiola has hit out at national team coaches and says he has never been as angry as when John Stones was injured on England duty last season.

Stones came back injured in March ahead of City’s Champions League quarter-final with Real Madrid.

City also lost Kyle Walker to injury following the recent international break and Guardiola has criticised the lack of communication from national team coaches.

“I never was so angry like that month, never before,” he said on Stones’ injury.

“Never before was I so disappointed with a friendly game. We were playing quarter-finals against Madrid and trying to win the Premier League and he comes back injured, I didn’t like it at all.

“Before when I was a player, the national team manager called the clubs. Now nobody talks. How they feel, how they are. Maybe the physios talk, but the managers never. In the first or second season with Gareth [Southgate] yes, but now no.

“Sometimes Ronald Koeman because he is a friend of mine. I know the players don’t want to get injured and I always encourage them to go to the national team, it’s a pleasure.

“But if it’s a friendly game you can’t come back injured, I’m sorry. If you are focused, if it’s a friendly game, you can’t come back injured when you’re playing the quarter finals of the Champions League, when you’re arriving in the last stages of the season with a chance to win the titles.

“We are well-paid here, the club pay us, not the national teams. Sometimes you have to respect the clubs. In friendly games you cannot be injured. You can play, absolutely, but you cannot come back injured.”