Pep Guardiola Reveals Manchester City Star's Derby Request

Pep Guardiola
Pep Guardiola at Old Trafford, Manchester, October 26. Guardiola suffered a 1-0 defeat to Manchester United in the EFL Cup. PAUL ELLIS/AFP/Getty

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has revealed that Vincent Kompany's half-time withdrawal from the Manchester derby was due to the Belgian being "tired."

Kompany, the City captain, made his fourth appearance of the season as Guardiola's team fell to a 1-0 defeat to Jose Mourinho's Manchester United at Old Trafford in the EFL Cup.

The 30-year-old was replaced by Aleksandar Kolarov at half-time, and City's Spanish manager explained that Kompany had asked to be substituted.

"He told us he is tired and was not ready to play the second half," Guardiola said. "The important thing is he is not injured—that is a good step."

Mourinho, meanwhile, dedicated the derby victory to the United fans as an apology after his side lost 4-0 at former club Chelsea on Sunday.

"Today the stadium was full of real support and it looks like the love people have for the club is bigger than bad results," he said. "We must give something back."

Mourinho's team welcomes Sean Dyche's Burnley to Old Trafford on Saturday in Premier League action.

Uncommon Knowledge

Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.

Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.

About the writer


To read how Newsweek uses AI as a newsroom tool, Click here.

Newsweek cover
  • Newsweek magazine delivered to your door
  • Newsweek Voices: Diverse audio opinions
  • Enjoy ad-free browsing on Newsweek.com
  • Comment on articles
  • Newsweek app updates on-the-go
Newsweek cover
  • Newsweek Voices: Diverse audio opinions
  • Enjoy ad-free browsing on Newsweek.com
  • Comment on articles
  • Newsweek app updates on-the-go