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Guardiola on apologising, Rodri and Donnarumma's discipline

2025-11-24 13:09
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Guardiola on apologising, Rodri and Donnarumma's discipline

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has been speaking to the media before Tuesday's Champions League game against Bayer Leverkusen at Etihad Stadium (kick-off 20:00 GMT). Rodri and Mateo Kovacic remain...

Guardiola on apologising, Rodri and Donnarumma's disciplineStory byKatie Stafford - BBC Sport journalistMon, November 24, 2025 at 1:09 PM UTC·1 min read

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has been speaking to the media before Tuesday's Champions League game against Bayer Leverkusen at Etihad Stadium (kick-off 20:00 GMT).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

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  • Rodri and Mateo Kovacic remain unavailable but everyone else is in contention to play.

  • He said "not long" when asked how far Rodri is away from returning. Guardiola added: "We will wait a little bit more to make sure he is fine."

  • On Gianluigi Donnarumma's discipline and what the plan would be if his goalkeeper gets suspended: "He has to defend his position. If he's booked, he's booked. James [Trafford] will play."

  • He said the defeat by Newcastle is "immediately forgotten" and City have to move on because the Champions League game is "massively important to finish in the first eight" and qualify for the next round.

  • Guardiola apologised for his behaviour after the Newcastle defeat when he spoke with Magpies midfielder Bruno Guimaraes and appeared to argue with a camera operator: "I feel embarrassed and ashamed when I see it. I don't like it. I apologised to the cameraman. I am who I am. Even with 1,000 games, I am not a perfect person and I make mistakes but always I will defend my team and my club."

  • He joked that reaching 100 Champions League games in charge for City is a realisation he is "getting old because it's all milestones" now. He added: "Huge competition. So nice and special. The players love it. It is part of who we are and what we have built as a team and club."

Follow all of Monday's Champions League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news

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