Guardiola was shown a yellow card after confronting fourth official Lewis Smith on the touchline at St James' Park after Kieran Trippier had fouled City's Jeremy Doku. New regulations introduced this season mean Premier League managers are suspended for one game once they have received three yellow cards, while six cautions will result in a two-match ban. The ban applies to league and FA Cup games but not European games or domestic cup finals, meaning Guardiola will be on the touchline for the Carabao Cup final with Arsenal on 22 March.
According to major media reports, Guardiola will have to sit out next Saturday's Premier League fixture with West Ham and City's FA Cup quarter-final clash on the weekend of 4-5 April, with the draw yet to be made for that round. The Football Association has not officially confirmed the two-game ban and its exact dates. Guardiola commented on the situation, saying: 'I will tell you something - we have all the records in this country, all of them, despite everything.
We have the record of the manager with the most yellow cards. I want all records and now I have it, two-game ban now and I will go on holidays the next two games. There are things after 10 years I cannot understand.
Review the action. ' The specific incident that led to Guardiola's confrontation with the fourth official remains unclear.