Oleksandr Zinchenko, now at Arsenal, recalled an intense training moment with Pep Guardiola during his time at Manchester City, where a single comment led to an abrupt session cancellation.
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Zinchenko revealed that during a session, after misplacing a pass, he responded to Guardiola’s criticism by saying aloud, “I just did one wrong pass,” which didn’t sit well with the City manager. Guardiola sarcastically apologized before halting the entire training and walking off.
Zinchenko admitted he realized his mistake immediately but chose to apologize after their next match instead of right away, understanding the importance of Guardiola’s game preparations.
Despite this incident, their relationship improved significantly, with Guardiola even calling Zinchenko after City’s treble-winning 2022/23 season to thank him for his contributions, despite his departure the year before.
Zinchenko, who has struggled with injuries this season, was benched during Arsenal’s recent 2-0 loss to Bournemouth but remains eager to return to full fitness and contribute.