Substitution Immediately After Scoring Upsets Haaland? Guardiola: I’m Protecting Him; He Will Never Be Unhappy With the Coach

Manchester City’s head coach, Pep Guardiola, pointed out that to ensure Erling Haaland, the “goal-scoring machine,” can continue to operate at peak efficiency, even if it means sacrificing some goal-scoring opportunities, the team must provide him with special care.

In the second round of the 2024/25 UEFA Champions League group stage match held in the early hours of October 2nd, Manchester City comfortably defeated Bratislava from Slovakia with a convincing 4-0 scoreline. İlkay Gündogan, Phil Foden, Haaland, and Cole Palmer all found the back of the net, delivering stellar performances.

Interestingly, after scoring the third goal to make it 3-0, Haaland was substituted off in a seemingly “ruthless” move. This action sparked speculation among some fans and media, wondering if there might be any issues between Haaland and Guardiola. However, there is no need for concern as the two had a conversation post-match, and Guardiola promptly clarified the situation.

Guardiola said with a smile, “Haaland will never be unhappy with his coach. I am not disappointed with him either; having him on the pitch makes me feel more secure and joyful.” He further explained that although he wanted Haaland to stay on longer, given the tight schedule ahead, which is more demanding than a marathon, the team needed to implement “special protection” measures for the young Norwegian talent. “With the score at 3-0, the game was virtually over, and we have many matches ahead. Therefore, we must take good care of him. Considering the significant physical toll he endured in the previous match against Newcastle, taking him off at 3-0 was the best choice.”

Guardiola also mentioned that he is not entirely clear about the specific qualification rules, so he did not focus too much on the goal difference issue. Although the team may have missed some opportunities, he is very satisfied with this victory. “Someone told me about these things, but I didn’t pay much attention,” he said. “Winning the match is enough. We need to accumulate a lot of points, and today’s victory has solidified our position in the standings.”