Echeverri Shines: Guardiola Praises Debut and Goal with City

Guardiola Lauds Claudio Echeverri After His Goal-Scoring Debut with Manchester City

Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola has expressed his admiration for Claudio Echeverri, calling him an “incredible player” after the young Argentinian scored his first goal with the team. Echeverri scored from a free kick in his debut as a starter with City, contributing to the 6-0 victory over Al Ain in Atlanta, a result that secured their place in the FIFA Club World Cup knockout rounds. The 19-year-old player had to be substituted at halftime due to an ankle injury. However, the 45 minutes at Mercedes-Benz Stadium were enough to impress his coach.

“It was a fantastic goal. He’s an incredible player in tight spaces. Unfortunately, he couldn’t continue due to an ankle problem, but yes, he was really good in the first few minutes, and in this competition he scored a fantastic goal, the free kick was really, really, really good”.

Pep Guardiola

Echeverri arrived at City in February, but had to wait until the defeat in the FA Cup final against Crystal Palace in May to play his first minutes. His Premier League debut came as a substitute in the last match of the season against Fulham. Signed from River Plate for around £18.5 million ($25 million), there has been speculation about a loan to Girona, a club associated with the City Football Group, so his short-term future is still uncertain. “Since he arrived, the previous season, the three or four months with the guys, at the end of the training session, he practiced free kicks alone, with the goalkeeper, with the wall,” Guardiola continued. “The others didn’t practice, he practiced and practiced, and the work pays off. So in the end, he had the courage, the quality, when you practice, you know, it’s like golf or basketball, the more free throws you practice, the more opportunities you have.”