Pochettino recalled the first leg against Man City.
“Mauricio Pochettino has admitted that Chelsea made a big mistake by refusing to shake hands with Pep Guardiola during their last match against Manchester City,” British media outlet Goal.com reported on Nov. 17 (KST).
Chelsea played Manchester City to a thrilling 4-4 draw in the 12th round of the 2023/24 English Premier League (EPL) on Nov. 13 at Stamford Bridge in London, England. Pochettino was furious during this match.
The game saw Chelsea and City chanting warlord Mungun at each other, and the game went down in history when City youngster Cole Palmer converted a PK from Broja in second-half stoppage time.
In this game, Pochettino thought Raheem Sterling had a chance to score on a counter-attack, but the referee blew his whistle and he was furious when he saw it. In anger, Pochettino lunged at Taylor on the pitch, avoided shaking hands with Guardiola, and was eventually sent off for his outburst. Now facing City again, Pochettino says he will not behave that way again.
“It was because I was so angry with the referee, that was the reason,” Pochettino said, “and I apologized in the post-match press conference. Of course, it won’t happen again. I was so angry with the referee that I ran onto the pitch like an arrow and tried to fight him,” he said.
“It was a big mistake and I want to apologize again. I should have been calmer and more respectful of my 토토 opponent. I’m really sorry and I apologize again,” he added.
Pochettino and Guardiola have had a good relationship in recent years, with the pair smiling and shaking hands when Pochettino was managing Tottenham and Paris Saint-Germain.
Now, the meeting between Chelsea and City is crucial. Chelsea can move up to seventh place with 37 points if they win this game, while City can move up to first place with 55 points if Liverpool loses to Brentford and wins against Chelsea.