Guardiola apologized following Kalvin Phillips’ remarks at Man City.

Pep Guardiola, the manager of Manchester City, has expressed regret for labeling midfielder Kalvin Phillips as overweight in December 2022.

After claiming that Kalvin Phillips was overweight upon his return to the Etihad Stadium following the World Cup in December 2022, Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has expressed regret to the midfield player.

After finding opportunities limited for the reigning treble holders, Phillips left the Sky Blues to sign a loan deal with West Ham United that will last till the end of the 2023–2024 season.
Since the midfield player’s arrival in Manchester during the summer transfer window of 2022, City has hardly employed him, and after he returns from the London Stadium, they may decide to let him go permanently. Despite a challenging beginning to his life in east London, Phillips is hoping that a string of games will help him regain the form he had before leaving Leeds United to join Guardiola’s team.
Guardiola apologizes for remarks he made regarding Phillips’ weight.
The midfield player discussed the event in a recent interview.
After a trying 18 months in the North West, Phillips talked to the media about life at the London Stadium after temporarily moving from Manchester City to West Ham. The 28-year-old said that there were difficult times for him at the Etihad Stadium, but he named Guardiola labeling him overweight as one of the most trying things that happened to him:

The hardest part was definitely after the World Cup, when Pep came out and admitted that he was overweight. He was correct to act in this way, but there are other approaches. I didn’t dispute with him, but it was clear that I felt quite uneasy and my confidence was severely damaged at City.

There is disagreement over Phillips’ remarks; commentator Chris Sutton called the England international “unprofessional” for being overweight when he returned to City. However, Guardiola expressed regret for his statements to the player during his pre-game press conference prior to City’s Premier League encounter against Brentford this evening.

“I apologize. That is not bad—once every eight years. However, I apologize deeply. He said, “I apologize to him.” I had already spoken with him [made the remark]. I never, ever wait to talk to the player or the team before saying something here.

With goals given up against AFC Bournemouth and Manchester United, as well as two bookings in the Irons’ loss to Nottingham Forest last weekend, Phillips has had a challenging start to his West Ham career.

The future of Phillips at Man City
The midfield player has to consider his choices.
Phillips is currently scheduled to return to Manchester City after his loan at West Ham expires. The £45 million acquisition may look to leave the Etihad Stadium permanently as he currently occupies a lower position than players like Mateo Kovacic, Kevin De Bruyne, Rodri, Bernardo Silva, and Matheus Nunes.

The estimated £150,000 weekly income earner is hoping for a turnaround in his and West Ham’s performance in order to secure a spot in Gareth Southgate’s squad for the 2024 European Championship in Germany.