A new behind-the-scenes documentary has laid bare the extent of the fallout between Pep Guardiola and Kyle Walker during Manchester City’s turbulent final season under the Spaniard. It revealed a heated dressing-room row that ultimately hastened the defender’s exit from the club.

The four-part Prime Video series, A Beautiful Obsession, charts Guardiola’s last two years in charge at the Etihad Stadium and includes previously unseen footage of the fracture between manager and captain that unfolded after City’s 2-0 defeat at Anfield in December 2024.

‘Every meeting, it’s my name’ – Walker’s fury boils over

The argument stemmed from City’s collapse at Liverpool, where Walker was at fault for losing possession to Luis Diaz in the build-up to a penalty.

Addressing his squad afterwards, Guardiola told the dressing room: “Kyle has to know that if you lose the ball it’s a goal.”

Walker, City’s captain for the 2024-25 season, reacted furiously to being singled out. “You keep saying my name, every meeting,” he is shown telling his manager. “Every f***ing meeting it’s my name.”

When Guardiola suggested the criticism came with the territory of captaincy, Walker shot back: “OK. You didn’t want me to be your captain.”

The right-back went further, adding: “I’ve reacted to someone else, I’ve lost the ball, you somehow bring my name into it.”

The row, coming just weeks after Guardiola signed a new contract extension, marked a turning point for Walker, who made only a handful more appearances before departing the club.

Manchester City have since named their captain for the current campaign without the input of the squad vote that had decided the armband under Guardiola for nine years.

Footage shortly after the argument shows an emotional Guardiola addressing his players directly, telling them: “If I’m a problem, then you have to tell me.”

He insisted he had extended his stay because he wanted to fight alongside the group rather than walk away in difficult circumstances.

“I extended the contract because I want to be with you, I want to fight in that position. I don’t want you to feel like I’m leaving and running away from you.

“I don’t want to have the feeling that the pieces fall down. And I feel ‘No, I want to help you,'” he said.

The documentary also touches on the emotional exit of Kevin de Bruyne, whose departure after a Treble-winning career at the club was another defining moment of Guardiola’s farewell season.

The Belgian, who left after City opted against offering him a new deal, admitted the decision had been painful for his family. “It’s really hard,” De Bruyne said. “My kids don’t want to go.”

Fractures that shaped Guardiola’s exit – and Maresca’s fresh start

The episode is one of several fly-on-the-wall moments in the series that illustrate how the dressing room unravelled during a season in which City ended the campaign without a trophy for the first time in years.

Chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak also feature prominently, reflecting on the club’s transfer business and the difficulty of persuading Guardiola to commit his future to City before he eventually opted to leave at the end of last season.

For Manchester City supporters, the documentary offers a revealing insight into the pressures that built up behind the scenes as Guardiola’s remarkable near decade-long reign drew to a close.

It also provides context for the rebuilding job now facing Enzo Maresca, who was appointed as City’s new head coach this summer after leaving Chelsea.

With City having overhauled significant parts of their captaincy and squad since Guardiola’s exit, the fresh footage serves as a reminder of just how much work went on behind closed doors as one era ended at the Etihad and a new one, under Maresca, began.