After the Clasico on April 21, 2024, between Real Madrid and FC Barcelona, Joao Cancelo, the former player under Guardiola at Man City, came under heavy criticism.
The Barcelona player was chastised for his defensive lapse leading to a goal scored by Real Madrid. Despite his team leading 2-1 at that moment, the Portuguese player showed lax marking on Lucas Vasquez, allowing him to equalize.
Later, Real Madrid secured a definitive victory with a score of 3-2, thanks to a goal by Jude Bellingham in the dying seconds.
Post-match, several pundits directed their ire towards the Portuguese full-back. Among them were two former greats from the Netherlands, Frank De Boer and Marco van Basten. De Boer suggested that Cancelo’s defensive shortcomings were precisely why Guardiola parted ways with him at Man City.
“Now I understand why Guardiola doesn’t fancy Cancelo. The man plays his own game and thinks only what you do with the ball counts. For heaven’s sake, you’re a defender,” De Boer remarked.
Van Basten echoed similar sentiments, expressing disbelief that Cancelo was still repeating his mistakes at the age of 29.
“It’s crazy that Cancelo is still making these mistakes at 29 despite his experience.”
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