Manchester City smoothly progressed past Real Madrid and secured a place in the Champions League final, but tension flared between Kevin De Bruyne and Pep Guardiola.
The Blues comfortably triumphed over the Blancos with a 4-0 victory at the Etihad Stadium. This triumph propelled them to a showdown with Inter in Istanbul on June 10.
Throughout the match, City dominated proceedings, leaving Real struggling to keep up. However, during the second half, Guardiola, known for his high standards, became frustrated with De Bruyne, the influential midfielder, as he squandered possession.
De Bruyne didn’t take kindly to his manager’s input from the touchline and was captured on camera shouting, “Shut up, shut up” towards the City dugout.
Explaining his intervention and De Bruyne’s heated response, Guardiola revealed:
“At 2-0, we were too hasty. Right after the break, Gundogan lost the ball, and Kevin made three unnecessary transitions. We rushed when we should have focused on sinking them and turning them. But it’s normal. When the game gets intense, you tend to rush, and it cost us more in that moment. Overall, we played exceptionally well.”
Throughout the season, Guardiola has occasionally questioned De Bruyne’s contribution to the team, but the 31-year-old remains an essential part of City’s plans as they pursue a treble in the Premier League, FA Cup, and Champions League in the 2022-23 campaign.