Guardiola reflected on his past team, saying, "The Treble year, do you remember the players I left on the bench? Aymeric Laporte, an incredible central defender and a regular for the national team, Julián (Alvarez) and others who I would love to have now, but they wanted to play more and left."

Guardiola acknowledged that Alvarez had to compete with Erling Haaland during his time at Manchester City, which was a challenging experience.

He praised Alvarez's current situation, stating, "Now he's at one of the best teams in the world, Atlético Madrid, with a world-class coach (Diego Simeone) and teammates, and he's performing incredibly well."

Guardiola concluded by stating, "I'd love to have him with me... but I understand."

Guardiola's comments reflect his respect for Alvarez's decision to leave Manchester City and pursue opportunities elsewhere.