Guardiola-Walker fallout revealed in new documentary

August 17, 2026 • Sports

Summary

A new documentary series shows Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola expressing sadness and frustration over captain Kyle Walker asking to leave the club and their tense relationship in the 2024-25 season. The series also reveals Guardiola nearly decided not to renew his contract after a difficult run of losses and the club’s trophyless season.

Key Facts

Kyle Walker, Manchester City’s captain, asked to leave the club and joined AC Milan on loan in January 2025.
Guardiola told players he was "incredibly sad" about Walker’s behavior and that a captain cannot act the way Walker did.
A heated argument between Guardiola and Walker happened after a December 2024 loss at Liverpool where Walker was blamed for a mistake leading to a penalty.
Walker was chosen by teammates as captain for the 2024-25 season, supported by four vice-captains.
Guardiola signed a new contract shortly before the Liverpool loss, despite the team suffering four consecutive defeats, the first such streak in his career.
The documentary shows Guardiola emotional, telling players he wants to fight for the club and not run away, but also asks if he is seen as a problem.
Walker made 316 appearances for City, winning six Premier League titles since joining in 2017.
The 2024-25 season ended without trophies for Manchester City, only the second time since Guardiola joined in 2016.
City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak expressed concerns about retaining Guardiola but succeeded despite the manager nearly leaving after the losing streak.