Manchester (Reuters)
Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola said his team’s previous failures in Europe or its domestic successes will have no impact on next Saturday’s Champions League final, as he urged his players to focus.
Guardiola won five Premier League titles, two FA Cups and four League Cups, but European success eluded the coach, who won the Champions League twice while coaching Barcelona.
City has never won the elite European Championship and lost the 2021 final to Chelsea, but it is the candidate to beat Inter Milan early next week and complete the historic treble after winning the League and Federation Cup titles.
“It’s a dream to be here,” the Spanish coach told reporters before the final in Istanbul. Two years ago we were (in the final) but it was different. We will try to do our best because we know that the final depends on how you act in 90 minutes. It’s not about history, otherwise Inter would be better than us. It’s about what you do in 90 minutes and be better than us. rival. It doesn’t depend on what you did in the group stage or the quarter-finals or last season or the Premier League or the FA Cup. It is a single match.
The City coach praised Inter’s defensive organization, after the Italian team conceded only three goals in six matches in the Champions League knockout rounds this year.
Guardiola said, “What we are trying to do in the next few days is to try to play with a lot of difficulties because it is not easy to attack the defensive system that Inter uses, so we have to impose the rhythm and be patient. We won’t do that after three or four passes. We have to know the right rhythm.”
He added, “Inter has a good form, not only in the way of defense, but in the quality of the ball and the transformations that the attackers make. He has a really good technique, starting from goalkeeper Andre Onana… which makes our high-pressing operation difficult.”
Guardiola added that Kyle Walker, who was injured in the 95th minute in City’s 2-1 victory over rivals Manchester United in the FA Cup final, is recovering from a back problem, he was not well, we will not take any risks and we will see what happens.
#Guardiola #History #affect #City #Champions #League #final