Discipline and punctuality are two crucial qualities every soccer player must embody. When working under the watchful eye of perfectionist coach Pep Guardiola, these qualities become even more important. Manchester City star Jack Grealish learned this in an interesting way after he arrived late to training.

In just a few hours, Manchester City is set to face Crvena Zvezda in their final UEFA Champions League group stage match. While the team hasn’t been at their best in the Premier League, they are on track to top their group in the UCL. However, before the crucial match, a rather amusing incident unfolded during training.

Pep Guardiola had an interesting punishment for Jack Grealish for his late arrival

Recent reports have revealed that Jack Grealish arrived at the training pitch this morning as the last player to show up. Not only that, but he also arrived late after the scheduled time. This lapse in punctuality did not go unnoticed by Guardiola and the rest of the squad. However, the punishment that followed was far from what one might expect.

Instead of the typical disciplinary action, Pep Guardiola and the entire Manchester City squad decided to have a little fun at the English winger’s expense. As he entered the pitch, they greeted him with a round of applause, applauding his tardiness.

This is truly a hilarious scene to imagine and one that would have surely left Grealish feeling embarrassed with the whole squad sharing a laugh at his expense.  While this was a lighthearted moment in the Man City camp, there have also been dark clouds looming over them in the form of criticism following an underwhelming run in the Premier League.

Guardiola fires back at criticism

Manchester City is currently sitting in the 4th position in the Premier League table. This is not what fans are used to and a wave of criticism hit them after a streak of four winless matches. However, they managed to secure a victory against Luton Town, allowing Pep Guardiola to tackle the criticism and instill hope among supporters.

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During an interview, the German manager confidently stated, “The people say it’s over [for Man City] but we want to make them wrong and believe that still it’s not over, still we want to be there [challenging].” Considering The Sky Blues’ outstanding track record of winning five out of the last six PL titles, it would be premature to discount their chances in this season’s title race.

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