This archive report was first published on 22 November 2019.
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has come to the defense of his midfielder Bernardo Silva, who has been banned for one match and fined £50,000 ($64,000) for a tweet comparing teammate Benjamin Mendy to a black cartoon character.
The incident occurred in September when Silva tweeted an image of a young Mendy alongside an image of the character representing the Spanish chocolate peanut brand Conguitos. He later deleted the tweet.
Guardiola believes the FA are trying to make an example of Silva, saying, "In this situation, the less important thing is the fact that we are going to miss him. He has been accused of something he's not."
Guardiola also expressed his support for Silva, saying he will be careful with social media from now on, but if this can help make a better society, he's pretty sure Bernardo will accept this punishment.
Guardiola also drew parallels between Lampard's situation at Chelsea and his own experience when he took charge at Barcelona in 2008, after just one season in charge of the club's B team.
Guardiola said, "Frank knows Chelsea perfectly and how the club works behind the scenes, the relations with the fans, the media, the players."
Guardiola also praised Lampard's ability to flourish despite the low expectations due to his inexperience as a manager and Chelsea's transfer ban.
Guardiola said, "When you start with nobody trusting you, it's perfect. You win games and more people trust you."
Guardiola's comments come as Manchester City take on Chelsea at the Etihad, with the London club one point and one place above them in the Premier League table.
