Guardiola defends his plea for ‘more fans’ at Man City game

By STEVE DOUGLAS
AP Sports Writer

A clash has broken out between Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola and a section of the team’s fans after he called for “more people” to attend the Premier League home match against Southampton on Saturday than had come to the Champions League win over Leipzig in midweek. The attendance against Leipzig was 38,062 and Etihad Stadium’s capacity is about 55,000. Some Manchester City supporters think it was an ill-timed comment that questioned the loyalty of the club’s fan base. Guardiola says it is a rallying cry ahead of what he expects to be a tough game for his tired team. Guardiola says “if I am a problem for my fans I will step aside.”