The Unveiling: Gabriel Jesus’ Decision to Exit Manchester City
The journey of Brazilian forwardGabriel JesusfromManchester CitytoArsenal, a switch that saw a sum of £45m change hands, was born out of what can only be described as a heart-rєɴԀing moment. A moment where he was left ‘crazy’ and in tears. It was a time of revelation, instigated by a surprising tactical choice from the acclaimedCityboss, Pep Guardiola, as ɾєρօɾτed by90min.
The Champions League Game That Tilted the Scales
A Champions League group stage match in November 2021 at the Etihad Stadium against Paris Saint-Germain was the game that tipped the balance. Despite being primed as the main striker during training the previous day,Gabriel Jesuswas overlooked in favour of Oleksandr Zinchenko, usually deployed as a left-back. Guardiola, known for his unconventional tactical decisions, dropped the proverbial ƄօмƄ just hours before the match.
“Crazy thing,” Jesus recalled during his guest appearance on The Denilson Show.
“He put Zinchenko as a false nine…The day before, he didn’t even use [Zinchenko] in training, he had put me in as a striker.”
The Emotional Turmoil
The shift was hard-hitting for Jesus, who found out about this unforeseen tactical twist in a pre-match meeting. Overwhelmed, he was unable to eat, seeking solace in a call to his mother.
“Two hours before the game, there’s a team talk, the team eats, rests for 30 minutes and goes to the game. He told us the team, I didn’t even eat. I went straight to the room, crying, I called my mother to talk: ‘I want to leave.’ I’m going home, because he put [Zinchenko] on, and he didn’t put me on. He put a left-back there. I went crazy.”
The Subsequent Show of Determination
Despite not warming up, Jesus was called upon when PSG took the lead, courtesy of a Kylian Mbappe goal. The Brazilian’s introduction proved pivotal, as he assisted Raheem Sterling for the equaliser and subsequently scored the winning goal.
“I gave an assist and scored; we turned it around 2-1. In the next [Champions League] game [against RB Leipzig], I thought I was going to play, and I didn’t play. There was a lot of that with [Guardiola], and it’s not easy. It’s really hard. That’s when I decided to leave…I didn’t want to stay anymore.”
Jesus’ coments above shine a light on the intimate moments of turmoil that can push a player to seek pastures new. It demonstrates how the intricacies of management decisions, like those made by Pep Guardiola, can impact a player likeGabriel Jesusin deeply personal and life-altering ways.
