Pep Guardiola has admitted letting Joe Hart go could be a mistake but will be for the good of the Manchester City.
Pep Guardiola has admitted his treatment of Manchester City goalkeeper Joe Hart may come back to haunt him but has insisted it is for the good of the club, according to The Independent.
Hart received a rousing reception from the crowd at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday as he started his first competitive match for Manchester City this season. But with Guardiola confirming that a £17m deal for Barcelona goalkeeper Claudio Bravo is nearly complete, Hart is expected to leave City before next Wednesday’s transfer deadline.
While Guardiola has defended his decision to drop Hart for the opening games of the season was an unpopular decision, it was one that had to be taken.
Guardiola said, via the Independent: “Joe is still a player of us and I am happy with him today. I know he is a legend of the club and part of the reason the club has been successful is Joe. He helped make City one step above, with success in the Premier League and the cups, so I am so happy with how people treat him.
“But I am here to take the decisions. I make a lot of mistakes in my career, but I try to be honest and I can’t deny what I feel. At Barcelona or Bayern Munich, all of my decisions weren’t right, but I have to take them. I am here and I have to take decisions, that’s all. Some will agree, some will not agree. I understand.
“I was honest with Joe and the club and all the players. The people who want to follow me, I am here to do that for them. The City fans can express what they feel. I would like all my decisions to make everyone happy – the fans, the media the club, but it is impossible.”
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola during training
Hart has been linked with a number of clubs of late, with rumours of both a permanent move and loan moves mentioned.
However, when asked about what it felt like to get such a great reception from City supporters, The BBC reported that he said: “That was a really special night for me. We all know there is a situation going on but I feel that inside, outside of all the circus, we are handling it well.
“Tonight was really nice. I really appreciate the people at Manchester City and it turns out they appreciate me. This is a special place for me, I’ve made no secret of that. Situations occur in football. We are men and we get on with it.”
When asked about whether his future lies away from Manchester, he simply said: “That’s not for me to say.”
Manchester City’s Joe Hart during the warm up
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