Pep Guardiola, the manager of Manchester City, has once again made waves in Spain as his team prepares to face Real Madrid in the Champions League Round of 16, this time for entirely different reasons compared to their previous encounter.
Ahead of their match at the Santiago Bernabeu in December, Guardiola told struggling Xabi Alonso to ‘handle his own matters,’ resulting in a 2-1 victory for his side. Just over a month later, Alonso was no longer in his role. Recently, when asked if he had any advice for Alvaro Arbeloa, Guardiola chose to refrain, stating his personal connection to Alonso made it inappropriate. However, he did share a moment that caught the attention of the Madrid press.
Guardiola Suggests Mbappe’s Vacation Amid Injury Recovery
There’s been considerable speculation about Mbappe’s recent injury and the choices he’s made regarding his recovery in Paris. When questioned about players choosing different locales for recovery, Guardiola responded:
“Does my opinion really matter about Mbappe’s recovery in Paris, where, by the way, I’ve heard he didn’t go alone? I mean, does my opinion carry that much weight? It happens at our club as well; every club has its own preferences, and I don’t see it as disrespectful to the organization.”
Guardiola’s lightheartedness seemed to refer to reports in Spain about him spending part of his recovery in the company of Spanish actress Ester Exposito, with the two spotted in his hometown.
The Rumored Connection Between Mbappe and Ester Exposito
As reported by Sport, which cites Leticia Requejo from the gossip show ‘El tiempo justo’, Mbappe has been inquiring about Exposito in the Real Madrid locker room before reaching out to her via social media. They are rumored to have gone on ‘7 or 8’ dates in recent months. Exposito, known for her role in the Netflix series Elite, is a frequent figure in Spanish tabloid news. She was also seen celebrating at Fede Valverde’s house back in 2022 and appears to be acquainted with several Real Madrid players.