Pep Guardiola insisted Wednesday he did not mean to make light of issues of self harm after comments about a cut on his nose following Manchester City’s Champions League collapse against Feyenoord.
The City boss was spotted with the scratch during Tuesday’s 3-3 draw at the Etihad, in which they blew a 3-0 lead, and was asked about it during his post-match press conference.
Guardiola replied that he had caused it with a fingernail, adding apparently as a joke: “I want to harm myself.”
City went into the game on the back of five straight defeats in all competitions.
Guardiola held his head in his hands in the dugout after a Josko Gvardiol blunder gifted the first Feyenoord goal to Anis Hadj Moussa.
The Spaniard took to social media to clarify his response on Wednesday, saying: “I was caught off guard with a question at the end of a press conference last night about a scratch which had appeared on my face and explained that a sharp fingernail had accidentally caused this.
“My answer was in no way intended to make light of the very serious issue of self harm.