Newly wed Zinchenko responds to online flak

LONDON • Manchester City defender Oleksandr Zinchenko set aside some time on his wedding day to clarify scathing comments he and his new bride Vlada Sedan made about manager Pep Guardiola.

Television reporter Sedan delivered a blunt assessment of the Spaniard's tactics and posted an interview with the Ukrainian international to her YouTube channel after City's 3-1 loss to Lyon on Aug 15 in the quarter-finals of the Champions League.

Referencing Guardiola's decision to field an uncustomary three-man defence, she said: "Perhaps I have no right to say this, and Zinchenko will forbid me, but to put it mildly, in order not to swear, this is completely Guardiola's fault."

The video has since prompted an angry response from City supporters and Zinchenko, 23, on Monday defended the comments made.

"First of all, I didn't say anything bad or judgmental about our tactics so don't confuse my words please," he said in a lengthy Instagram post.

"On the night we lost to Lyon that doesn't mean the manager was wrong to try. Second one about my wife. Although she is a journalist, she is also a fan... you can see her emotions straight after the game and she gave an opinion like all fans do because she wanted us to do better.

"I'm writing right now from my wedding and instead of enjoying that unbelievable moment, I have to do this because I can't skip it and leave it like that."

REUTERS