Retired tennis icon Rafael Nadal was seen with Pep Guardiola and a host of Manchester City stars at the City Football Academy.
Rafael Nadal Spotted With Pep Guardiola and Manchester City Stars
At the Davis Cup Finals, Rafael Nadal officially retired from the sport which ended a career that spanned over two decades and included 22 Grand Slam titles.
After losing in the quarter final at the Davis Cup, Nadal was visibly upset and began to cry during a tribute video from his rivals – including Andy Murray, Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer.
The Spaniard has began to venture out and take advantage of his open schedule, as he flew to the United Kingdom to see a host of Premier League sides.
Nadal has made it clear that he is a huge Real Madrid fan, but the tennis icon decided to meet Barcelona legend and Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola – as well as some City players.
The 38-year-old was welcomed to the City Football Academy where he was seen hugging Pep Guardiola and took some photos with Erling Haaland, Jack Grealish and Manuel Akanji.
Nadal and Guardiola have a strong relationship despite their respective relationships with rival clubs in Spain, as the City manager joined Barcelona at the same time as Nadal’s uncle Miguel Angel.
Guardiola was asked about Nadal’s retirement in a recent press conference and revealed he was sad about Nadal’s choice but understood the reasons why.
Guardiola said: “I think it happened because he saw that he cannot be or compete in the level that he had been for two decades.
“Rafa played all of his career with pain. He played and won I don’t know how many Grand Slams.”
The Spanish tennis star continued his footballing journey across the UK, as he travelled from the City Football Academy to Anfield to watch Liverpool beat Real Madrid 2-0 in the Champions League.
