What next for Lucas di Grassi after retiring as a professional driver?
Whatās next for Lucas di Grassi after his retirement from racing?
Aymeric Laporte expressed regret over leaving Manchester City, calling it 'the best in the world' and praising the club's unique care for players. He spent six successful years at City before joining Al-Nassr in 2023.
Mentioned in this story
Aymeric Laporte: I regretted leaving Manchester City, the way they care for players is unique
Aymeric Laporte has admitted he regrets leaving Manchester City in 2023, describing his time at the Etihad Stadium as āone of the best things everā in a new interview.
Laporte spent six years at Manchester City before departing for Al-Nassr in the summer of 2023, having been one of the cornerstones of Guardiolaās dominant sides that won five Premier League titles during his time in Manchester.
He has since moved to Athletic Bilbao, where he has rediscovered consistent first-team football but his words on City make clear the move away left a mark.
Aymeric Laporte claims Manchester City stars ādidnāt realiseā scale of success under Pep Guardiola
His comments arrived in the same week that Pep Guardiola delivered one of the most passionate tributes to Manchester City as a club that he has ever given publicly ā using Laporteās own words as a springboard to speak at length about what makes City extraordinary from the inside.
Speaking to AS, Laporte was unambiguous about the feelings his departure from City ultimately stirred in him.
Aymeric Laporte regretted leaving Manchester City because he felt the club provided exceptional care for players, which he only fully appreciated after his departure.
Laporte described his time at Manchester City as 'one of the best things ever' and emphasized the unique support players receive at the club.
Aymeric Laporte played for Manchester City for six years, contributing to the team's success in winning five Premier League titles.
After leaving Manchester City, Aymeric Laporte joined Al-Nassr in the summer of 2023.
Whatās next for Lucas di Grassi after his retirement from racing?
See every story in Sports ā including breaking news and analysis.
āI regretted leaving because I was at the best club in the world, City,ā he said. āThe way they take care of their players there is unique; you only realise it when you leave.
āWhen you arrive, itās impressive and then once you get used to it, you see it as something commonplace, something normal.
āWhen you leave and youāre no longer experiencing that special routine they have there, you realise how lucky you are to have been at a great club like City ā and like I said, for me it was an unforgettable experience.ā
The honesty in Laporteās words is striking. There is a familiar pattern in the testimonials of players who have left City in recent years ā an initial sense of normality while at the club, followed by a dawning realisation of what they had once it was gone.
Pep Guardiola drops Manchester City future hint in passionate Everton press conference speech
āIām truly grateful to the club. I canāt say anything bad because it was one of the best things ever,ā the defender added.
Ilkay Gundogan expressed something similar upon his return from Barcelona last summer, telling Guardiola that āMan City is topā.
Guardiola referenced Laporteās AS interview directly in his press conference prior to Mondayās thrilling 3-3 draw with Everton, describing it as āthe biggest compliment we can getā and using it to explain his own decade-long commitment to the club.
āI wouldnāt have been 10 years even with good titles or prizes if I donāt have an incredible environment,ā Guardiola said. āNow I still have incredible energy, still Iām so good to be here.ā
The 55-year-old went on to speak at length about the player care department, the food, the CEO and chairmanās presence on matchdays and the clubās decision not to make a single redundancy during the COVID-19 pandemic ā painting a picture of an organisation that operates with a care and consistency that sets it apart from anything else in football.
For Guardiola, Laporteās words were not just a compliment to the club ā they were, seemingly, a reminder of exactly why he has no intention of leaving any time soon.