Pep Guardiola admits he'd never heard of Stefan Ortega before he arrived at Man City as Cityzens boss explains goalkeeping recruitment process at the Etihad
Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola has admitted he did not know who Stefan Ortega was before the club signed him.
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- German will start last game vs West Ham
- Goalkeeper made stunning save at Tottenham
- City 'keeper coach recommended him
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Table of Contents
ToggleWHAT HAPPENED?
Ortega has become a key figure for City this season, standing in for No. 1 Ederson on several occasions due to injury. And he made a potentially pivotal save in the title race when he denied Son Heung-min from close range in the 2-0 win at Tottenham after coming on to replace the injured Ederson.
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WHAT GUARDIOLA SAID
"No. It was my keeper department," Guardiola told a press conference. "People talk about the incredible save because that's what it is. Eddy [Ederson] has done it many times before. Know why we won the Champions League? Ederson, make incredible saves at 1-0. And against Benzema. He was the key to win. Cannot define this period without Eddy. It was a strange period for Eddy, four times injured, never seen that. Today we have two top keepers."
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THE BIGGER PICTURE
Ortega signed for City in 2022 on a free transfer after ending his contract at Arminia Bielefeld, who had just been relegated from the Bundesliga. He replaced Zack Steffen, who had been an unreliable back-up to Ederson, making a big mistake in the FA Cup semi-final against Liverpool. Guardiola credited goalkeeping coach Xabi Mancisidor for recommending Ortega. "It was Xabi. It happened in the past, he introduced me to two or three keepers, I said okay, let's go. I'm not an expert on keepers, that's why I have trainers for that. He did really well."
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WHAT NEXT FOR MAN CITY?
City will win a record fourth consecutive English title if they beat West Ham or Arsenal fail to beat Everton. They can then attempt to do a successive double when they face Manchester United in the FA Cup final.
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