Does Joao Cancelo Deserve Second Chance at Manchester City?

Joao Cancelo took the football world by surprise last season when he chose to leave Manchester City for Bayern Munich on loan right in the middle of a hectic campaign. Speculations were rife concerning the cause of the loan deal as the Portuguese fullback has been one of the best players at the club for the last couple of years.

As it turned out he got the shorter end of the stick as City went on to achieve unprecedented success in his absence. the Portuguese defender missed out on winning the Champions League for the first time in his career as he was with Bayern Munich at the time.

His loan deal included a purchase clause that Bayern Munich refused to activate. With City demanding £70 million pounds for his services, no team has so far shown any interest in the player.

Many had thought the player will not be allowed back into the squad as his relationship with the manager may have broken down beyond repair. But that has not been the case as he returned from Bayern and has been part of the team’s pre-season preparations.

So far Guardiola has given no indication of any ill-feeling towards the player, at least to the public. But if the Catalan manager really didn’t want him to be part of his squad, he could have easily left him out of the pre-season contingent.

Boos from City fans directed at the Portugal international when he returned to the Etihad Stadium for a Champions League fixture with Bayern last season suggested the player had put himself on a warpath in the club’s fans.

So at this point, he is not just fighting to win over the trust of his manager but that of the club’s fans as well.

But if the manager bears no grudges against him, the fans should be able to forgive him especially as both parties have not revealed any disagreement between them.

Besides, Cancelo has been very good in the pre-season friendlies and looks set to continue from where he stopped last season. With the team in need of reinforcements, reintegrating him back into the fold will benefit all parties involved.

So yes, the Portuguese deserves a second chance especially after he denied himself a Champions League winner’s medal. That is enough punishment for putting self ahead of the team.