The Moment Guardiola Forgot a Legend: De Bruyne's Name Haunts City After Fulham Win
12 February 2026
Context and Pep's Reflection
Pep Guardiola, Manchester City's manager, lamented the days of Belgian star Kevin De Bruyne after a convincing 3-0 victory over Fulham on Wednesday night, in the 26th round of the Premier League.
De Bruyne is one of City's legends, having spent a decade with the blue side of Manchester and delivering every domestic and European prize under Guardiola.
Legacy, Return, and the Current Fight for the Title
De Bruyne left for Napoli last summer after his contract ended, and is currently sidelined by injury.
Across City careers, he logged 422 appearances, scored 108 goals, and provided 177 assists.
Even though he left more than six months ago, his memory lingers in Guardiola, who accidentally mentioned his name in the post-match press conference after Fulham.
Guardiola had planned to discuss Erling Haaland and the Norwegian's ball retention in the buildup to City’s second goal by Nico Orieli, but he blurted “Kevin” instead, then sighed and repeated the name, as if recalling the excellent days of the Belgian at City.
City continue to press Arsenal in the Premier League race this season, raising their points to 53 and closing the gap to three before Arsenal's visit to Brentford on Thursday evening.
Punchline 1: Guardiola’s memory is so sharp he tracks De Bruyne's name even when his mouth trips on it.
Punchline 2: If De Bruyne’s legacy is a map, Guardiola's mispronunciation is the compass—pointing back to the glory days with a wink.
