The details of a seemingly heated exchange between Brighton & Hove Albion defender Jan Paul van Hecke and Pep Guardiola have been revealed in a new interview.
The Premier League champions fell to a fourth successive defeat across all competitions on the south coast, having originally taken the lead in the contest through Erling Haaland’s first-half goal after dominating proceedings during the opening 45 minutes.
However, in the space of five second-half minutes towards the tail-end of proceedings, goals from Joao Pedro and Matt O’Riley flipped the scoring on its head to put Manchester City behind and lose all three points in the process upon the full-time whistle.
The conclusion of the game would also be met by a close confrontation between Erling Haaland and Jan Paul van Hecke, with the latter then involved in an animated and heated exchange with Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola.
Speaking after Brighton & Hove Albion’s dramatic 2-1 win on Saturday evening, van Hecke revealed the nature of his heated exchange with Pep Guardiola after the final whistle at the Amex Stadium.
“We were just speaking about the foul at the end in the box. He asked me what happened in the box and I explained,” van Hecke revealed. “He congratulated me. I said they had a great team. He is a great manager.”
The 24-year-old continued, You see the way his team played at the end of last season when we lost 4-0. I felt like the whole game I was in the rondo. I only have a lot of respect for him.”
Pep Guardiola also told reporters after the contest on the south coast that the Dutchman is not only ‘aggressive’ in his play but also a ‘really, really good player’, to which the Brighton man responded in a separate interview, “He said that? Wow, that is good.”
He continued, “It’s a proud moment for me. I think he’s the best coach in the world.”
Pep Guardiola himself also commented on the exchange with the Brighton defender, to which he told reporters during his post-match press conference, “He was strong with Erling [Haaland].”
“I said, ‘When Erling then stands up to you, stay on your feet, don’t go to the grass’. But he played a really good game.”
Manchester City return to action after the November international break with a home Premier League meeting against Tottenham Hotspur at the Etihad Stadium, in what opens up a hectic run of matches deep into the new year without break.
