Former Manchester City full-back Angelino has accused Pep Guardiola of killing his confidence, as the player begins a new chapter as a permanent RB Leipzig player.
The Spaniard has been enjoying an excellent campaign over in Germany, and is getting the regular first-team football he couldn’t at the Etihad.
Angelino was bought back by Manchester City in 2018 after they had sold him to PSV Eindhoven, but he made just 12 appearances in his second spell
He couldn’t force his way into the starting XI ahead of Benjamin Mendy or Oleksandr Zinchenko, and the decision was taken to let him leave for Leipzig.
His loan move was turned permanent earlier this month for around £15 million (Eurosport), and the player has been speaking about his time at City, and he doesn’t seem happy about his treatment by Guardiola.
He told Bild: “Pep killed me and my self-confidence.
“After my move from Eindhoven back to City, he had already passed his judgement on me in two preparation games and didn’t give me a real chance again after that.
“That’s why I was happy to be loaned to Leipzig in the first place, and now I’m a permanent part of the club.
“One (manager – Nagelsmann) gave me confidence and let me play. The other didn’t.”
Angelino can feel hard done by
Angelino probably could have been given more opportunities.
The form of both Mendy and Zinchenko at the start of last season was questionable, and Angelino could well have made the left-back spot his own with a stronger show of faith.
Clearly he is a top full-back as he is now proving with Leipzig, but thankfully Zinchenko is really stepping up back at City, and Joao Cancelo is also able to operate on the left side.
It’s a shame Angelino feels the way he does, and he isn’t the first to talk negatively about Guardiola’s man-management style, but everything has at least worked out for all parties in the end.
