Kevin De Bruyne showed the lighter side of his relationship with Pep Guardiola in the aftermath of Manchester City‘s Premier League triumph, joking with his manager: “You’re a shit coach... you only win!”
Last month De Bruyne spoke candidly about life at City and about his manager, saying Guardiola was “stressed” by his strive for success and perfection on the pitch.
“Pep and I share a similar mentality,” De Bruyne wrote in the Players’ Tribune. “To be fair, he’s even more intense about football than I am. He’s so, so stressed — all the time. However much mental stress we are under as players, I think he is under twice as much. Because he is not just interested in winning. He wants perfection.
“The first meeting I ever had with Pep, he said, ‘Kevin, listen. You can be — easily — a top five player in the world. Top five. Easily.’ I was shocked. But when Pep said it with so much belief, it changed my whole mentality. It was kind of genius, I think. Because I felt like I had to prove him right, instead of prove him wrong.”
The duo have since sealed their second Premier League title, and amid the celebrations on the pitch at Brighton’s Amex Stadium, De Bruyne joked that Guardiola was “a shit coach” as the manager jumped on his back. Guardiola looked a little perplexed by the comment, which made De Bruyne burst out laughing.
Watch the video above.
