‘I wanna hurt myself!’
Pep Guardiola sparked concern after he appeared with cuts to his face after Manchester City’s baffling late collapse against Feyenoord in the Champions League.
City looked to be cruising to a much-needed three points in the competition when they went 3-0 up against the Dutch side at the Etihad last night.
However, they imploded as Feyenoord pulled off a remarkable comeback to score three goals in the final 15 minutes to rescue a point.
The result stretches City’s winless run in all competitions to six games.
After the game, their manager Guardiola appeared before the media with visible scratches and cuts on his face.
When asked about the cuts, the Spaniard said he had cut himself with his fingernail.
He then added: “I wanna hurt myself.”
His comments sparked a mixture of concern and backlash from fans as some worried the manager was struggling under pressure while others accused him of making a joke about a serious issue.
Now, the 53-year-old has posted an apology on social media platform X and clarified his comments.
He said: “I was caught off guard with a question at the end of a press conference last night about a scratch which had appeared on my face and explained that a sharp fingernail had accidentally caused this.
“My answer was in no way intended to make light of the very serious issue of self harm.
“I know that many people struggle with mental health issues every day, and I would like to take this moment to highlight one of the ways in people can seek help, by calling the Samaritans hotline on 116 123 or emailing [email protected].”
I was caught off guard with a question at the end of a press conference last night about a scratch which had appeared on my face and explained that a sharp fingernail had accidentally caused this. (1/3)
— PepTeam (@PepTeam) November 27, 2024
The draw for City leaves them 15th in the Champions League group, two points off the top eight who will qualify straight into the last 16. Teams placed 9th to 24th will have to take part in a play-off round to make it to the last 16.
Whilst the result stopped their losing run of five games, it means the Citizens failed to win a single game in November, and haven’t won since October 26th when they beat Southampton 1-0.
It doesn’t get any easier for Guardiola’s men, with their next game against Premier League leaders Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday.
Defeat would leave City 11 points behind the Reds and could see them drop out of the top four depending on other results.
