Bizarre scenes: Guardiola humiliates Reijnders in dressing room full of team-mates

Remarkable footage from the new documentary A Beautiful Obsession offers a rare glimpse into Pep Guardiola's final months at Manchester City. During a fierce half-time team talk, the Spaniard singles out Tijjani Reijnders in front of the entire squad and leaves him heavily humiliated.

The footage comes from last season, Guardiola's tenth and final year in charge of Manchester City. In the dressing room, the now departed coach tries to hammer home that he does not want to see a repeat of the disappointing previous campaign.

"The big question for all Manchester City players who were also there last season is: do you want to play a season like that again? Do you want to believe in the season we had then?" Guardiola begins his tirade. He then turns to Reijnders, who had arrived in Manchester from AC Milan in the summer of 2025.

"Do you want to play a season like your final season at that damned AC Milan again, when you did not qualify for Europe? Do you want that? Do you want to go through that again?" Guardiola snaps at the Netherlands international as his team-mates watch on. "Remind yourself whether you want to relive our previous season again."

Nor does Guardiola stop there, rounding off his message with characteristic intensity. "If you do not want that, then you will have to act. Otherwise you will not win, my friends," he tells his players.

Those were not the only striking scenes involving Guardiola and Reijnders last season. After City's 2-1 win over Southampton in the FA Cup in April, Guardiola sprinted over to the Dutchman, who had just been substituted, before embracing him exuberantly.

Then Reijnders gave little away when Sky Sports asked about the exchange. "That is something between us," said the midfielder, but Guardiola later explained to the BBC what he had said to him: "I said I wanted to kill him because he played so well. Tijjani is also a player who has not played much lately, but he delivered an excellent performance."

Now both Guardiola and Reijnders have left Manchester. Guardiola said goodbye to City last summer after ten seasons and 20 major trophies, while Reijnders was sold on 19 August to Saudi Arabian side Al-Qadsiah for a reported €61 million.