Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola praised Matheus Nunez before strangely belittling him, claiming he couldn’t play in midfield because he was “not intelligent.”
The philosopher’s comments came in the wake of the goalless draw in the Manchester derby between the two rivals, a match in which the Portuguese player played at right-back and performed exceptionally well.
Guardiola said after the derby, “Nunez can be a good right-back with his fitness, but the most important thing for me right now is for him to stay away from midfield completely.”
He added, “I think Nunez isn’t intelligent enough to play in midfield, and he doesn’t have the calmness to excel in that position.”
He continued, “He’s learning a lot now at right-back. He defends well and has the fitness to do so. He’s helped us a lot, and we’re happy with his current development.”
He continued, “When the season started, if it had been said that we were playing Nunez at right-back and Nico O’Reilly at left-back, I would have said, ‘What are you talking about?’ But this is the season.”
The 26-year-old Portuguese starred in midfield for Sporting Lisbon and Wolverhampton, prompting City to sign him in the summer of 2023 for €62 million. However, things have changed now, and it appears he has failed to gain Guardiola’s confidence in his starting position.
