Stefan Ortega is feeling the heat after making some questionable remarks about Liverpool, and it seems Alan Pardew isn’t holding back. The former Premier League manager has labeled Ortega’s comments as “stupid” and warned the Manchester City goalkeeper that his phone is about to light up with messages from the club’s hierarchy.
Here’s the context: Ortega, stepping in for the struggling Ederson, featured in Manchester City’s 2-0 loss at Anfield on Sunday. Despite a solid performance that included several crucial saves, things unraveled when he conceded a late penalty by bringing down Luis Diaz. Mohamed Salah converted, cementing Liverpool’s dominant lead over Pep Guardiola’s side.
But the real drama came after the game. Ortega made a dig at Liverpool, saying:
“Someone told me before that this area [Liverpool] is probably not the best part in the UK. I think the manager reacted really well.”
Cue the backlash. Alan Pardew, speaking on talkSPORT’s The Final Word, didn’t mince his words:
“He shouldn’t have said that, absolutely not. It’s the frustration, the anger, the pressure. And then saying something stupid like that, he’ll regret it. And he’s going to regret it quite soon because he’ll be getting a few texts, and a few messages I’m sure onto his mobile phone from the hierarchy at his football club.”
Pardew was sympathetic to City’s current struggles—this was their fourth league defeat in a row—but he wasn’t about to excuse Ortega’s poor choice of words. With Liverpool 11 points clear and Pep Guardiola facing a rare rough patch, tensions are high at City, and Ortega’s comments didn’t exactly help matters.
Moral of the story? If you’re a goalkeeper under pressure, maybe leave city rankings out of the post-match interviews.
