S Poddar
Manchester City’s recent slump took a surprising turn after Pep Guardiola’s comments following their 3-3 draw against Feyenoord in the Champions League. The Citizens squandered a comfortable three-goal lead in the final quarter of the match, extending their winless streak to six games.
A visibly frustrated Guardiola did appear at the post-match conference with scratches on his face and body. When a reporter brought it to his attention and asked him about them, the usually composed manager answered very strangely: “I want to harm myself.”
He would soon clarify that, telling the reason for those cuts to be from his finger’s nail when playing; he cut himself with his own fingernail during a very tense game.
However, the first statement raised alarm, especially when the City team is not in great shape at the moment. Guardiola responded via social media, stating that it was not a deliberate response: “I was ambushed with a question at the end of a press conference last night about a scratch which had appeared on my face and explained that a sharp fingernail had accidentally caused this.”
More importantly, Guardiola took this chance to acknowledge the seriousness of self-harm: “My answer was in no way intended to make light of the very serious issue of self harm.” He continued by expressing his empathy for those facing mental health challenges: “I know that many people struggle with mental health issues every day and I would like to take this moment to highlight one of the ways people can seek help, by calling the Samaritans hotline on 116 123 or emailing jo@samaritans.org.”
This episode underscores the enormous stress that football managers are under. Guardiola, who has been obsessive in his planning and is focused on winning, has not been having an easy time managing Manchester City. This current run of defeats is hardly going to be helpful in lifting the spirits of this manager.
While the comment on self-harm is of course a concern, the immense pressure Guardiola faces has to be acknowledged. Hopefully, City can get their results on the pitch right soon, but also for the well-being of their manager.
