João Cancelo has criticized Manchester City, alleging that “lies were told” about him after his move to Bayern Munich in January 2023.
The Portugal international, who had previously been a key player under City manager Pep Guardiola, fell out of favor in the first half of the 2022-23 season. There were reports in the media suggesting that Cancelo was discontented with teammates Rico Lewis and Nathan Aké receiving more playing time, which was purportedly affecting team dynamics.
Cancelo, who is on a season long-loan at Barcelona from City told ABola newspaper : “Lies were told! I’ve never been a bad teammate for them and you can ask either Aké or Rico. I don’t have any superiority or inferiority complex towards them, but that’s the manager’s opinion…”
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Asked if he was saddened by those reports, Cancelo said: “I was because it wasn’t true. I think Man City were a bit ungrateful to me when they said that, because I was a very important player in the years I was there. I never failed in my commitment to the club, to the fans and I always gave everything.
“I remember a time when I was robbed and attacked and the next day I was playing at the Emirates against Arsenal. These are things you don’t forget, I left my wife and my daughter alone at home, terrified.
“People will only remember this because Mister Guardiola has much more strength than me when he says something and I prefer to keep to myself. I prefer to know that I am telling the truth, I feel fulfilled with what I did. I am a transparent person, I never lie.”
