He was the worst — Ex-Man City star Laporte slams Guardiola amid possible relegation

Laporte spent five-and-a-half successful years under Guardiola after joining Manchester City from Athletic Bilbao for a then-club-record £57 million in January 2018.

The defender praised Guardiola's tactical brilliance while branding him potentially the worst manager when it comes to personal relationships.

Speaking on former Spain international Mario Suárez’s El Camino de Mario podcast, the Athletic Club defender said:

“Tactically, he’s one of the best in football. In terms of interpersonal relationships, perhaps the worst.”

Laporte won 13 major trophies during that period under the former City boss, including multiple Premier League titles, but gradually fell out of favour in his final seasons.

Injuries and the arrival of other centre-backs saw his role diminish, and he left for Al-Nassr in 2023 before later returning to Athletic.

The Spaniard has previously hinted at a purely professional relationship with Guardiola, noting that the manager began preferring other options as competition increased in the squad

The comments come at a sensitive time for Manchester City. The club was recently found guilty of 114 of 115 Premier League financial charges relating to a nine-year period, with possible sanctions, including a points deduction or even relegation, still to be decided.

City remain top of the table for now, but the uncertainty surrounding the verdict has cast a long shadow over the Etihad.