'I am controlling you!' - Pep Guardiola jokes about mystic powers in response to brutal Fabio Capello criticism and admits he's 'not good enough to ruin Italian football'

The former AC Milan and England manager accused Guardiola of "arrogance", and argued that his desire to "be the main character” has cost him several Champions League titles. Moreover, Capello opined that the Serie A clubs have lost their identity in an attempt to emulate his philosophy in Italy despite lacking the quality of players to execute them effectively.

He expressed his frustration, saying, "Even if it is no longer his fault, he has done a lot of harm to football. Because everyone spent ten years trying to copy him. It ruined Italian football, which lost its nature. I said: 'Stop, you don't have Guardiola's players'! There was also the absurd idea that that was all there was to do to play well."

When asked about Capello’s remarks during a press conference on Friday, Guardiola chose not to retaliate. Instead, he brushed off the criticism with a lighthearted response, offering a “big hug” to the Italian.

"I listen to everything that people say about me, everything, so be careful!" he joked with reporters.

Acknowledging Capello’s long-standing opinion on his tactics, Guardiola added: "This isn’t the first time Mr. Fabio Capello has said something like this. But I’m not good enough to ruin Italian football. Italian football is far bigger than the way we play. A big hug for Fabio, a big hug."

While Guardiola may have shrugged off Capello’s remarks, the 2024-25 season has been a challenging one for Manchester City. Currently sitting fifth in the league standings, City find themselves battling for a Champions League qualification spot rather than contending for another title since they have already suffered an early exit from the European top-flight, failing to make it past the group stage for the first time since Guardiola took charge in 2016.

City's latest setback came in a disappointing 1-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest last weekend. They will return to Premier League action this Saturday with a clash against Brighton. With their title hopes all but fading, Guardiola’s men will be eager to get back to winning ways and keep their grip on a top-four finish.