How Pep Guardiola tried to mess with Álvaro Arbeloa's head: He reminded him of what he did to Xabi Alonso

Pep Guardiola is a coach who knows how to handle these kinds of high-stakes situations , where psychological mind games often take on greater importance. This time, the Manchester City manager refused to offer even a simple piece of advice to Álvaro Arbeloa , unlike what he did last December when facing Xabi Alonso .

What did Pep Guardiola say to Arbeloa?

When asked if he felt like giving advice to Arbeloa , who faces the huge challenge of managing Real Madrid , he surprisingly replied with a refusal, explaining that he "doesn't know him."

"I give recommendations to people I've lived with; I give advice to people I know," Guardiola said during the press conference when asked if he had a few words for him, as he had done previously with Xabi Alonso .

The Manchester City coach also made it clear that "Madrid is always Madrid" , adding that he only sees small tactical nuances between the version of the team led by Alonso and the one now guided by Arbeloa . Still, the real answer will come on the pitch when the two teams meet in the UEFA Champions League clash next Tuesday .

On the other hand, Guardiola didn't miss the chance to joke about the current situation involving Kylian Mbappé , following recent reports linking him to Spanish actress Ester Expósito . The City manager asked whether his opinion on that topic really mattered, making it clear that his only focus right now is the upcoming Champions League match .