Josep Guardiola says he took revenge on Real Madrid in the Champions League

Josep Guardiola (right). In the background, Carlo Ancelotti

The Manchester City manager spoke about his team’s qualification for the tournament final.

Pep GuardiolaManchester City coach, assured after eliminating Real Madrid that they played this Wednesday with “the pain of taking a whole year with the elimination of last year present”.

“I think the pain we had last year was there. The energy we’ve had for a year of being criticized has been there. Today they got the reward they deserve. We played through the pain of taking a whole year of elimination last year. I had the feeling that we have had that very much in mind and today (Wednesday) it came out. We have removed everything. Sport always gives you a second chance, it always gives you revenge,” Guardiola said at a press conference.

The Spanish coach will play his fourth Champions League final, his second with City, and explained this Wednesday that what makes a team great is fighting for the biggest titles every year.

“I don’t have so many expectations as to think that I will always win the Champions League. The times I have lost is it because the others are bad? The rivals also play. They say that City played badly at the Bernabéu, and why don’t we say that Did Madrid play well? You can’t always win. The best thing is to take the team to the final rounds and if you’re there often and play in the finals, one day you’ll win it.”

“I am culé and Barcelona lost three or four finals before winning the first one. And because we are City, are we going to win it every year? What makes you great is being there every year. In recent years we have behaved like a big team I can’t judge my team by heads or tails,” he said.

Regarding the final, Guardiola said that people are now going to say that they are “favourites” and that this is not good, and that if they end up losing the final it will be “bad luck”.

“The pleasure of being there is incalculable. Of course, Inter can beat us, but how we have played no one can take it away from us,” he explained.

On whether this has meant the end of the cycle for Real Madrid, Guardiola stated that he has not “closed anything” and that he is not going to be the one to judge Los Blancos.

SPORTS
with Efe