Ahead of semi-final, Guardiola avoids talking about ‘revenge’ against Real

On the eve of the first semifinal match of the Champions League, Pep Guardiola avoided treating confrontation against the Real Madrid as ‘revenge’. In the last edition of the competition, the manchester citya team coached by the Spaniard, was eliminated by the Merengues with the right to a historic comeback in the Santiago Bernabéu.

Regarding the last meeting between the two teams, the coach said that it is part of football. “We even did more than anything else, but that’s football and sometimes it’s not enough. We need to be better. The lesson is not to come here for revenge. We need the opportunity to leave the match open for Manchester and go to the final.”he stated.

However, when asked if he treated this second chance as ‘revenge’, the coach did not agree and put the focus of the match on the present, not on past events. “We are not here for revenge. It’s just a new opportunity. We got what we deserved,” Guardiola replied.

In addition, the coach made a point of praising the opponent, who has a huge tradition in the Champions League. “Look, to win this competition you have to beat the best teams. And Madrid is the best team in this competition. It has demonstrated this over the past two decades. In last year’s first leg, we played an exceptional game. And on the way back it wasn’t exceptional, but we played well. And it wasn’t enough”said.

Seeking their first Champions League title away from barcelona, Pep Guardiola spoke about the importance of being constant and always getting closer. And this could be Manchester City’s big season. “There are clubs that do crazy things to win the Champions League. Being stable is the most important thing. Winning is important”confirmed.