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Pep Guardiola has relaxed his wifi ban at Manchester City - but issued a list of social media rules his players must follow.

The Catalan shocked members of his squad when implementing blackout zones at the club’s academy last season - including the physio and dressing rooms.

But he has softened that hard line approach, with even the Etihad’s new state of the art changing rooms - opened last month - wifi friendly.

“They can communicate, it’s part of their lives now,” said Guardiola when asked if a ban was still in place.

But in a meeting with his players, he has made it clear they must show respect through their various social media channels such as Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

He said: “Today is a different world than what I lived in.

“Maybe in my period if we had Twitter I’d use Twitter.

“I just want respect for the other ones. I don’t want to see disrespect for team-mates, the opposition, the club, for the fans, for the issues happening in the world.

“That I don’t want to see from my players, and we spoke about that.”

Summer signing Benjamin Mendy has already sparked controversy when accused of taking a ‘cheap shot’ at Brighton goalkeeper Mathew Ryan after conceding an own goal during City’s 2-0 win last month.

The French international tweeted “bullet header” after Lewis Dunk inadvertently put through his own net.

BT Sport pundit Steven Gerrard said at the time: “I think it’s disrespectful to a fellow professional and I just think there’s totally no need for it at all.”

Ex City midfielder Frank Lampard added: “Why don’t you just have a few seconds to double check that that’s the right thing to say?”

Mendy later apologised for any offence.

Guardiola added: “Of course, everybody is free.

“I’m not a guy to say ‘ban that, ban that’, they are adults. Some of them are fathers - but respect, be careful what you write.

“Be careful what you say because I don’t want other guys to feel uncomfortable with what they say on Twitter.

“I’m not a guard. If you are using it, just be careful.

“It’s part of our lives now, our kids use Twitter, Instagram, it’s impossible to be apart from that. It’s impossible.

“Use it to communicate with each other, but just be careful.

“I don’t like when my players aren’t respectful of the club, or managers of other clubs. I think the guys we have are exceptional in that sense. They laugh, so no problem.

“Some of them are funny. They communicate through Twitter, Instagram more than face to face.”