The City manager delved into geopolitics – specifically Gaza and the United States – at Tuesday’s pre-match press conference, even claiming it was “the first time in 10 years that one journalist asks me about that.”
That isn’t entirely accurate. Most notably, after the 2018 Carabao Cup final, Guardiola had worn a yellow ribbon in support of Catalan independence leaders while speaking about political freedoms and “humanity.” He was then asked how he could reconcile that with his gratitude to owner Sheikh Mansour, a leader in a country – the UAE – “criticised for not respecting freedoms.” The UAE has since faced vigorous criticism over its role in what has been described as a genocide in Sudan, another conflict Guardiola mentioned in passing on Tuesday. The UAE denies propping up regional militias, despite the New York Times reporting “extensive evidence to the contrary.”
Back in 2018, Guardiola’s response was more garbled, saying simply that “every country decides the way they want to live for themselves.”
He was not asked about Sudan on this occasion, and none of this is to debate the merit of Guardiola’s humanitarian views. The reality, however, is that the UAE is actively using sport – and the ownership of City, along with all its victories – for political purposes.
It’s remarkable that this is even being discussed ahead of a Liverpool–City game, but this is football in 2026.
As in 2018, the obvious question is how City’s owners feel when Guardiola speaks on these issues, given the attention it draws to them.
Guardiola’s renewed willingness to discuss such topics – despite insisting he had not previously been asked – alongside the club’s spending, has fuelled widespread belief that this could be his last season.
City continue to describe such talk as mere “speculation.” A club as well run as theirs has clearly already started thinking about the future.
Many believe City have spent almost half a billion pounds over the last three transfer windows because Guardiola is very much in a “win now” mindset. He wants to leave with significant victories, which explains the high turnover of signings.
Consider the attack. Jeremy Doku scored a supreme goal in that 3-0 defeat to Liverpool in November, a strike that seemed to signal he was reaching a new level. That goal, however, ended up being his last for the club. City have responded by signing Antoine Semenyo, who started on the left against Newcastle, and bringing back Omar Marmoush. Marmoush briefly looked like a potential star, only for his form to falter.
If all of this is a prelude to Guardiola’s departure, there is a potential parallel with Liverpool: both clubs may be considering Xabi Alonso. Both admire him, and he is aware of their interest.
City’s strongest interest, however, is said to lie with former captain Vincent Kompany. That is natural, but not without complications. Kompany is deeply involved in planning at Bayern Munich and looks unlikely to leave this summer. Another factor is the awareness among coaches of the challenge of succeeding Guardiola.
Enzo Maresca, however, would be willing to back himself, much as Slot did after Jurgen Klopp.
At Anfield, talk of Slot moving on has, for now, evaporated. Liverpool feel they are exactly where they wanted to be going into this season. They consciously chose to refresh and reshape the squad, accepting there would be an adaptation period – made harder by more injuries than anticipated.
The signs from performance data suggest young players like Ekitike and Florian Wirtz are now fully up to speed. Liverpool invested in the long term and are finally seeing the returns.
This is not to say Slot is completely bulletproof; he still needs to secure Champions League football.
Sunday will reveal a lot – not just about whether he can achieve that, but potentially much more.
