Pep Guardiola doubled down on his criticism of refereeing standards, insisting that he must defend Manchester City in the wake of a string of calls to go against his team.
The City boss was incensed by Farai Hallam’s decision to turn down appeals for a penalty during Saturday’s 2-0 win over Wolves – and had claimed the debutant wanted to make the occasion about him.
Guardiola apologised for those comments made about the 32-year-old but remains angered by a number of other incidents not to have gone their way.
Those include a disallowed goal at Newcastle in the Carabao Cup and Diogo Dalot escaping a red card for a foul on Jeremy Doku in the Manchester derby, while the failure to send Dean Henderson off in last year’s FA Cup final still rankles.
He has now referenced PGMO chief Howard Webb three times in a fortnight amid heightened tensions between Guardiola and the refereeing fraternity.
‘I’ve been incredibly respectful in my nine or 10 years with the referees, in defeats and everything, never commenting on absolutely anything,’ Guardiola said before City’s crunch Champions League tie with Galatasaray.
‘How many times did I criticise the referees last season, which was the worst season in 10 years? How many times?
Pep Guardiola has doubled down on his referee criticism, saying he ‘defends his club’
Guardiola is seen complaining to the official after the win over Wolves on Saturday
‘Just take a look when we have had defeats over the last 10 years. The FA Cup final, the position of the referee and the goalkeeper for Crystal Palace. It was a natural position with the hands? Look at my comments after the game.
‘I defend my club and players for what happened many, many (times). When you are six minutes for a disallowed goal in the Carabao Cup, I have to tell him you know. The hands against Wolves, it happened, but then what happened at Crystal Palace and Chelsea (on Sunday)? I have to tell.’
Guardiola added on Hallam: ‘If he is offended then I am so sorry. I know it’s not easy on debut. And it’s happened. Everyone is so sensitive, I know that.
‘What I’m saying this season is arguments and reasons why we have done it. I defend my club and my players. Howard Webb defends the referees.’
In private, Guardiola railing against referees is nothing new and the 55-year-old has consistently used perceived injustices as a motivational tool with his squad.
But the pointed remarks aimed at officials, and Webb, that have surfaced with more regularity suggest his patience has now worn too thin.
This was his fifth round of discussion about referees in the last 20 days, claiming after a draw with Brighton that they have an ‘easy job’ after Thomas Bramall was told to award City a penalty after first denying the hosts.
He went on to bemoan Antoine Semenyo’s disallowed goal at Newcastle a week later, bemoaned Erling Haaland’s lack of protection before defeat at Old Trafford and then the talk around Hallam’s debut.
Guardiola does not complain about contentious moments after defeats and so his views on Dalot’s challenge on Doku were not aired until six days after the event. Doku was also caught late by Wolves defender Yerson Mosquera on Saturday, for which the defender was cautioned.
‘At least once in a game I feel a strong tackle, a heavy confrontation,’ Doku said. ‘I can only say that I continued to play (after the Dalot tackle) but it was too painful to play in Norway.
‘I could have (been out for a long time). It happened but I don’t want to go too much into it. That (Mosquera) tackle was painful. Fouls is fine, as long as I don’t get injured. I see it as a compliment, they can’t take the ball. For me it is more about the diving thing.’
Part of Guardiola’s takedown of referees at the weekend centred on a belief that Doku is a diver, saying: ‘You know how many fouls they believe is diving, from Jeremy?’
Doku was booked for simulation in a game against Brighton last season after avoiding a tackle from Jan Paul van Hecke, one which Guardiola suggested could have broken the Belgium international’s leg.
Doku added: ‘I just know that when I am on the ground I am not diving. That is sometimes frustrating because I know my character and if I fall on the ground, it is because something happened. I am not a diver.’
