Pep Guardiola has offered Steven Gerrard a grovelling apology after the Manchester City boss made comments about the ex Rangers gaffer's infamous slip for Liverpool - which handed City the Premier League in 2014.
With City dominating both footballing and financial headlines last week thanks to their breach of Premier League rules ranging from the 2009/10 season until 2017/18, Guardiola was made to face the music about the implications meant for City's present, future and the past. The club have been charged with 115 misdemeanours over that eight-year spell which saw the club win three Premier League titles, one FA Cup and three League Cup titles.
And, with Guardiola facing the press on Friday for the first time since the decision, he bizarrely brought up Gerrard's slip against Chelsea which saw Liverpool concede first spot to City. That ultimately gave the reigning champions the momentum to win the title, a move which Gerrard has admitted still haunts him.
Guardiola stated on Friday: "I don't know if we are responsible for Steven Gerrard slipping. You know that situation at Anfield? I didn't want it out of respect for Steven Gerrard, but it's our fault?"
"The goal from [Sergio] Aguero [2012], the slip from Steven Gerrard at Anfield [2014]. Was that our fault? The Premier League will decide but I know the effort we put in, what we won and the way we won it. If something happened in 2009 or 2010, it is not going to change one second. We lived these moments together for years."
However, he has since gone back on those comments, with the first thing he said in his press conference ahead of a huge clash against Arsenal in midweek being an apology to the former Rangers boss. Guardiola said on Tuesday afternoon: "Before I start the press conference, I want to say something. I apologise to Steven Gerrard for my unnecessary and stupid comments I said about him.
""He knows how I admire him for what he has done in the country where I live. I truly believe my comments about defending my club but I didn't represent my club well. I am ashamed of myself. I didn’t represent myself well.
"I have apologised to him privately but, like the comment was public, my apology must be public as well. I said to him personally. I am so sorry for him and his wife and family."
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