'I'm a talented manager' – Pep Guardiola explains baffling decision to hand 19-year-old Claudio Echeverri his debut with Man City en route to FA Cup final defeat to Crystal Palace

Pep Guardiola explained why he handed Claudio Echeverri his Manchester City debut in the Fa Cup final in a quirky response.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Echeverri made his City debut in the FA Cup final
• Guardiola explained why he brought in the young Argentine
• Crystal Palace beat Man City 1-0

• Table of Contents

  Toggle

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  City's miseries continued in the 2024-25 campaign as they went down 1-0 against Crystal Palace in their second FA Cup final in a row on Saturday. Eberechi Eze scored the only goal of the match to hand the Eagles their first-ever major trophy.

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  In the 76th minute of the match, as the Cityzens were still trailing, Guardiola brought in 19-year-old Argentine sensation Echeverri in place of Omar Marmoush. This was the first time that the teenager appeared for City since formally joining the club in January this year.

• WHAT PEP GUARDIOLA SAID

  When asked in the post-match press conference why Guardiola brought in a rookie player in an important final, the City boss said: "My inspiration? I'm a talented manager. I want to be honest, it was not a bad decision."

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR MANCHESTER CITY?

  The former English champions will now aim to finish among the top five teams in the Premier League and secure a Champions League slot. They will next face Bournemouth on Tuesday before meeting Fulham on the final matchday on May 25.