Kyle Walker’s tumultuous departure from Manchester City is laid bare in a new documentary charting Pep Guardiola’s final two seasons at the club.The 96-cap England international left City on loan for AC Milan in January 2025, bringing an end to eight years at the Etihad Stadium.It came following the team’s worst run of form during Guardiola’s reign and a consistent build-up of tension between manager and captain.Walker was voted skipper by his peers that season but still chose to jump ship for Italy and an astonishing exchange after a defeat by Liverpool at Anfield in early December reveals the beginning of the end for the defender.Incredibly, Walker claimed that Guardiola never wanted him to take the armband in front of the entire dressing room during a tense exchange that left the squad stunned.In Prime Video’s documentary A Beautiful Obsession Guardiola is seen dissecting a Liverpool goal in which Ruben Dias loses possession. Walker recovers but the right back is then dispossessed as Luis Diaz skips away to win a penalty. Kyle Walker’s furious bust up with Pep Guardiola spelt the end of his Man City career Walker took issue with Guardiola’s public criticism of him and the pair locked hornsThe City boss claimed that Walker had to know that giving the ball away would result in a goal.’I react to someone,’ Walker retorted. Guardiola sighed: ‘You don’t understand, Kyle.’A visibly agitated Walker – slouched on the floor of the dressing room as others are sat on benches – launched into a robust defence of his performances.’If you keep saying my name in every meeting, in every f***ing thing, then it is going to be impossible, you’re going to get a reaction,’ he said.’Every f***ing meeting, it’s my name.’Guardiola offers that he is singled out because of his status within the team, suggesting that more experienced players should be able to take criticism. Guardiola was disappointed in his captain and has since changed his policy on naming leaders Read the full, untold story of Pep Guardiola’s decade at Man City Part I: The Real Guardiola. From putting ‘the fear of God into you’ to his astonishing generosity, those who know him best reveal their stories of the ultimate ‘football genius’Part II: His troubled first season. Why ‘nervous wreck’ Guardiola ‘set fire’ to plans, banished overweight players… and went to war over the grass length, black nets, Yaya Toure, Joe Hart and refereesPart III: The journey to the Treble. For the first time, JACK GAUGHAN reveals the secrets of Guardiola’s masterplan for immortality – from magnets to Coldplay, a ‘trap’, a secret weapon and tactical perfectionPart IV: Pep and his players. The ‘philosophy of crazy’ that spat some stars out, took them all ‘to a level you didn’t know you had’, was powered by gravity inversion… and how he slapped down backchatPart V: The Great Reinventor. JACK GAUGHAN reveals the reason Guardiola stayed one more year, how close City came to signing Lionel Messi and the epic parting gift the manager leaves behind <!- – ad: https://mads.dailymail.co.uk/v8/us/sport/football/article/other/mpu_factbox.html?id=mpu_factbox_1 – ->
‘You didn’t want me to be captain,’ Walker said. ‘You didn’t want me to be your captain. I’ve reacted to someone else [Dias]. I’ve lost the ball. You somehow bring my name into it.’Walker left weeks later, struggling on loan in Italy before later moving to Burnley and now plays in the Championship. Guardiola ripped up the principle of allowing players to vote on who should captain the side as a result of Walker’s six-month tenure.Guardiola would make his feelings clear to the rest of the squad in a team talk before victory over Chelsea at the end of January, holding Walker up as an example not to follow.’I’m incredibly sad about what happened with Kyle,’ he shouted. ‘It was so easy for him – f***ing hell – it was so easy for him to come to me [and say] ‘I’m done’.’But he did not behave as a captain to do it. He knows we are in the toughest moment of our lives. We bought you, we have to defend ourselves. We have to say here we are going to die together.’A Beautiful Obsession launches exclusively on Prime Video in UK & Ireland 19 August 2026