Manchester City manager, Pep Guardiola, heaved a sigh of relief as his team secured a long-awaited victory in the UEFA Champions League.
The Cityzens emerged victorious against Inter in the final held at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium in Turkey, with a decisive second-half goal from Rodri sealing their triumph over the Nerazzurri.
Throughout the years, despite possessing immensely talented squads and the financial capacity to make significant transfers, Manchester City has consistently fallen short in European competitions. Guardiola, often criticized for overcomplicating tactics in crucial matches, has shouldered much of the blame for these disappointments.
Their first appearance in the Champions League final in 2021 ended in defeat against the underdogs, Chelsea, leaving a bitter taste. However, Man City has now avenged that shocking loss, claiming the ultimate prize two years later while accomplishing the remarkable feat of securing a treble along the way.
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Speaking to BT Sport post-match, Guardiola was asked how he felt after winning his first Champions League in 12 years.
“Tired, calm, satisfied of course. This f***ing trophy is so difficult to win! It’s impossible,” Guardiola said.
“It could be different, we knew it. First, because they [Inter] are good, really good. Antonio Conte will learn a lot with what they do, it’s quite similar – they bring you up, they find strikers, they link really well, can keep it, and then run to the other side.
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“The first time, we were so anxious, so the man free was John Stones. We couldn’t find him. But it’s a question to be patient. I said it at half-time, last time we were 1-0 down in Porto [against Chelsea in 2021], now it is 0-0 which is something.
“And we have to be lucky. This competition…they did it at the end, the same, Ederson [makes a save] or they miss it or they could draw. Phil [Foden] could have scored a second one. It’s a coin [flip]. But we were there and I think it was written in the stars. It belongs to us and we did it.”
When asked what makes this Man City team different to previous iterations, Guardiola replied: “I think we defend a little bit better in the box, we have four central defenders, these guys are proper defenders. Even if we make mistakes, I have the feeling we are more solid.
“We didn’t make a bad game, in general, it was not bad. The momentum started winning the Premier League, the FA Cup, and now we finish here.
“We were not frustrated [with form in the first half of the season], maybe it was not our best level and Arsenal was beyond exceptional. But after the World Cup, the team made a step forward.“
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