Pep Guardiola lost his temper and fiercely confronted the referee, resulting in a two-match ban from managing Manchester City in crucial games.
On 8 Mar 2026 GMT+7, Pep Guardiola, manager of Manchester City, was banned from managing on the sidelines for two matches after confronting fourth official Lewis Smith over Kieran Trippier's foul on Jérémy Doku in the FA Cup fifth round match where Manchester City beat Newcastle United 3-1. This incident gave Guardiola his sixth yellow card of the season.
According to new rules implemented this season, Premier League managers receive a one-match ban after accumulating three yellow cards, and a two-match ban after six yellow cards.
This suspension applies to league and FA Cup matches but excludes European games and domestic cup finals. This means Guardiola can still manage from the sidelines in the Carabao Cup final against Arsenal on 22 March.
However, he must watch from the stands during the Premier League match against West Ham next Saturday, as well as the FA Cup quarter-final scheduled for the weekend of 4-5 April.
After the Newcastle game, Guardiola said, “Let me tell you, we’ve broken every record in this country despite all the obstacles.”
“Now I hold the record for the most yellow cards received by a manager. I want all the records, and now I have it. Banned for two matches—I’ll just take a vacation for those two games.”
“There are many things I still don’t understand after 10 years. Just review that incident. Of course, I had to defend Doku and all my players.”