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Former Manchester City and Spain winger Nolito has claimed that there were “huge egos” in the Premier League side’s dressing room and that his spell at the club was a time to forget.
Nolito, 39, was one of the first signings Pep Guardiola made when he joined the club in 2016. A tally of six goals and five assists made for a semi-successful time in the north-west before he departed the following summer.
His time at the Etihad Stadium can be described as one of two halves and although he enjoyed a remarkable start on the wing for the Premier League side, it was not enough to keep him under Guardiola’s wing given he struggled to adapt to life in England.
Following his departure, he joined La Liga side Sevilla before spells at Celta Vigo and UD Ibiza preceded his retirement in 2023. From the end of his playing days, the former forward has been open about his time in Manchester and admitted that there were many problems inside the dressing room.
Speaking on the El After de Post United podcast, Nolito said: “Some players had huge egos. We’d all take a shower and then everyone would leave immediately. It wasn’t a very close-knit locker room,” as relayed by Sport Witness.
“But anyway, I was always with the Spanish guys, with (David) Silva or (Jesus) Navas – and we shared a lot in the locker room.
“There were so many good players that I noticed there were a lot of egos. I saw a lot of things but I prefer not to say anything. I think ego is a societal problem today.”
Nolito failed to win a trophy under Guardiola and earned 16 caps for Spain during the entirety of his career, which spanned over 500 games across nine clubs – but the opportunity was there for him to experience at least some of the success that the club have achieved over the past decade.
High-level competition meant that playing time was hard to come by for Nolito, especially because Guardiola has always held extremely high standards since he joined the club in 2016.
The winger’s bid for minutes slipped further from his grip when Gabriel Jesus joined the club at the end of 2016 and impressed instantly to become one of the most prolific wonderkids in Premier League history.
“At the beginning, I played a lot, then less,” Nolito added. “Ultimately, these are top-level teams and the competition was tough. I didn’t adapt well because I don’t play. Perhaps the Premier League is a bit faster, you get more playing time, there are fewer fouls. But I still prefer La Liga, without a doubt.”
City’s hunger for success has only increased since the day Guardiola’s joined the club and although ego can be viewed as arrogance and conceit, perhaps that is why the club’s stature has become that of one of the best teams of the modern era.