Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has made it clear that he does not feel responsible for Julián Álvarez’s exit from the club. The Argentine forward decided to join Atlético de Madrid in search of more playing time, and his former coach insists he fully respects his decision.

"I don’t feel responsible. The club brought me an extraordinary player, but Julián was very clear that he wanted to play all the minutes he’s getting now and didn’t have last year," Guardiola said at the Santiago Bernabéu press conference, where his team will face Real Madrid this Wednesday.

The manager admitted that if Álvarez had stayed at City, his role would have grown this season due to the team's many injuries. However, he emphasized that he respects his decision and wishes him the best in his new challenge in Spain.

"We are very happy that he is doing well. He has continuity, goals, and presence at Atlético de Madrid. He helped us achieve something unique at our club, and seeing good people like him succeed makes us very happy," said the Catalan coach.

Haaland’s presence and the search for minutes

One of the key factors in Álvarez’s departure was the dominance of Erling Haaland, who has been City’s main striker. Guardiola admitted that this made it difficult for the Argentine to get the playing time he wanted.

"Sometimes, with Erling, it was complicated. This year, with all the injuries we've had, he would have played much more. But he is happy, and that’s the most important thing," the Spanish manager concluded, putting an end to any debate about his responsibility in the forward's decision.