Gabriel Jesus speaks on how Pep Guardiola made him cry while at city
In a recent interview with the “Denilson Show” podcast, Arsenal striker Gabriel Jesus opened up about the incident that ultimately led to his departure from Manchester City in 2022. Jesus revealed that his decision to leave the Premier League champions was influenced by an incident involving manager Pep Guardiola, which left him in tears.
Jesus recalled a specific Champions League fixture against PSG in November 2021, where Guardiola opted to start Oleksandr Zinchenko as a false nine instead of him. The Brazilian striker expressed his surprise and frustration at this decision, particularly since Zinchenko had not even been included in the training session the day before. Jesus even shared a light-hearted moment when Zinchenko joked about feeling sorry for him.
However, it was the team talk just two hours before the game that had the most profound impact on Jesus. Guardiola announced the starting lineup, and to Jesus’ dismay, he was not included. Overwhelmed with disappointment and emotion, Jesus immediately retreated to his room, where he broke down in tears. In his distress, he called his mother and expressed his desire to leave the club, feeling that his talents were being overlooked while a left-back was given the opportunity to play in his position.
This incident was a turning point for Jesus, prompting him to seriously consider leaving Manchester City. The emotional toll and the perceived lack of faith from Guardiola in that critical game led Jesus to make the difficult decision to depart from the club. Subsequently, he joined Arsenal in search of a fresh start and new opportunities to showcase his abilities as a striker.
