Manchester City

Kevin De Bruyne: 'Pep Guardiola is intense'

By Barney Corkhill, Editor | 15 August 2018

Manchester City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne admits that manager Pep Guardiola is an "intense" character, but insists that he is on the "same wavelength" as the Spaniard.

Manchester City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne has admitted that Pep Guardiola is "intense", but insists that he is on the "same wavelength" as his manager.

Guardiola steered City to the Premier League title in record-breaking fashion last season, with his side racking up the most points (100), most wins (32), most goals (106) and biggest winning margin (19 points) in the history of the division.

De Bruyne conceded that the Spaniard can sometimes "overload" his players with information and stressed that he would not be afraid to argue with him, although that need has not arisen too often for the Belgian.

"Pep has different relationships with everyone. I am lucky that I like to play the way already that he implemented so it was an easier transition, more natural," he told BBC Sport.

"That is how I prefer to play football, we are on the same wavelength. In the end it's a lot of hard work but if it's fun then it's good. Pep can be intense. In the end sometimes it can be an overload [of information from him] but every person in life has that when they are at work. We cope with it fine.

"I would [argue with him]. But to be fair it has not been happening a lot. Maybe one or two think something different but you need to discuss it. Everyone has their own view on football and I am already lucky that a lot of the time I think the same as him. For me it is easy.

"You don't have to shout at him, you talk like an adult, you are both people who came here to win as a team. If you explain what you are thinking then there is no problem."

De Bruyne only featured as a second-half sub during Man City's 2-0 win over Arsenal on the opening weekend of the season.