Bernardo Silva finally asks Pep Guardiola the question that every football fan has been curious about for years.
Bernardo Silva finally asked Pep Guardiola the question everyone’s been curious about on Monday night, but the Manchester City manager had a hard time giving a straight answer.
Guardiola managed City for the last time on Sunday, wrapping up an amazing 10 years at the Etihad Stadium. His final game was a 2-1 loss to Unai Emery’s Europa League-winning Aston Villa, but he got a special send-off afterward, plus a big farewell event the next day.
City celebrated with a bus parade through Manchester to honor their FA Cup and Carabao Cup wins, as well as the women’s team winning the WSL and the Under-18s taking the FA Youth Cup. Later, they held a huge party at Co-op Live near the Etihad and showed off all 20 trophies from Guardiola’s time here. Special guests like former captains Vincent Kompany and Fernandinho, along with Ederson, Jack Grealish, and even Noel Gallagher, joined in the fun. Guardiola also got a video message from NBA legend Michael Jordan, who’s one of his heroes.
On stage, Silva, who’s also leaving City along with fan favorite John Stones, got to ask Guardiola some funny questions. During a Q&A with players, they talked about the many memes poking fun at Guardiola. Stones asked about a comment where Pep said he had “more balls,” and Silva finally asked the question everyone’s been wondering: who was Pep really talking to when he seemed to be having a serious chat with an empty red chair?
Guardiola burst out laughing, covered his face, and shook his head. The crowd joined in with City’s famous chant, “We’re not really here.” The video was shared online and quickly got over a million views on social media.
Silva has often been called Guardiola’s “son” because of their close bond since Silva joined from AS Monaco. He’s played 460 games for City over nine years, in almost every position—midfield, striker, and even left-back during injury crises.
Recently, Silva revealed he was actually going to play center-back in a 2023 game against Arsenal. He trained for the role but Guardiola changed his mind at the last minute and had him play left-back instead, with Nathan Ake moving to center-back. City won that tough match 3-1.
Silva told The Athletic, “At first, Pep wanted me at center-back, and I trained for it. When he called me into his office, I was surprised, but I said I’d try my best even though it’s not my usual spot. After one day of training, he switched it up—Nathan went to center-back, and I took left-back. It probably seemed crazy, especially against Arsenal who were top of the league, but we won. It’s great to have a manager who trusts you to play anywhere on the pitch.”