Man City not on revenge mission against Real Madrid: Guardiola
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola says his players must on Tuesday avoid falling into the trap of trying to avenge last year’s UEFA Champions League semi-final defeat to Real Madrid.
“It will be a huge mistake to think we are here for revenge; we are not! We must face it as another opportunity (to reach the final),” Guardiola told a news conference later on Monday.
Both teams will meet on Tuesday at the same tournament stage, with Manchester City away in the first leg in Madrid.
Guardiola was visibly upset with a comment by his midfielder Rodri earlier in their press conference at Santiago Bernabeu earlier on Monday.
He said he looked forward to “a chance for revenge” against Real Madrid.
“We are here to get a good result because everything will be decided in Manchester, not here,” he said. “What happened last season happened, period. This is another opportunity, nothing more.”
“The best lesson we can take from last season is that we are not coming here for revenge but for a good result. And to have the final open for Manchester.”
Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti spoke earlier on Monday about the importance of going into the second leg with a mental edge.
Asked about the comments, Guardiola was once again uneasy, disagreeing with his opposite number.
“Last year, we got here with a huge mental edge after winning well (in) the first leg. But look what happened,” Guardiola said.
“Ferland Mendy saved a ball off the goalline, and what happened still happened. Those are the details that take you to a final or not.”
After beating Real Madrid 4-3 in a thriller in the first leg last year in Manchester, Manchester City saw the Spanish giants fight back from the brink of elimination.
They beat them 3-1 after extra time to get to the final.
“When I arrived at Manchester City, I thought I would win the Champions League in the first year, then in the next one… and the one after that.
“And the last one, the same thing. That’s my mentality. And here we are, we are here to try again,” Guardiola said.
(Reuters/NAN)
We have recently deactivated our website's comment provider in favour of other channels of distribution and commentary. We encourage you to join the conversation on our stories via our Facebook, Twitter and other social media pages.
More from Peoples Gazette
Politics
Katsina youths pledge to deliver over 2 million votes to Atiku
“Katsina State is Atiku’s political base because it is his second home.”
Africa
ECOWAS holds strategic peace talk with African Union
ECOWAS has held a strategic peace talk with the AU to integrate and implement the African Union Accountability and Compliance Framework into peacekeeping missions.
Economy
Experts decry challenges in ICT industry, suggest solutions
An expert says Nigeria’s infrastructure deficit and rising equipment costs are stalling the growth of the country’s information and communication technology industry.
Politics
Police promise adequate security for Saturday’s Gombe LG polls
The police command in Gombe has assured of adequate security, ahead of Saturday’s local government councils poll.
Rights
N615,000 new minimum wage based on N1,700 per dollar computation: TUC, NLC
“It is now N615,000. Regarding when the new minimum wage, the committee is still working,” said the TUC president.
Faith
NPC mourns Yobe federal commissioner Mai Muhammed
NPC said Mr Muhammed passed away on Sunday while performing lesser hajj in Saudi Arabia.
Economy
ECA urges Nigeria, other African countries to use digital tools for transparency
The Economic Commission for Africa has urged African countries to embrace digital tools to foster greater transparency, efficiency, and effectiveness.
