The coach spoke to Uefa.com on the Istanbul final against Inter: “We were there two years ago, here we go again after two years, the important thing is to be there in a few years. That’s what makes you a great club.”
Istanbul is approaching. The countdown to the Champions League final with Inter is running out. And Pep Guardiola, 52, Manchester City’s Spanish coach, tries to deceive the wait and lessen the tension by speaking to Uefa.com. Also to exorcise the defeat in the last act with Chelsea, in 2019, still at the helm of the Citizens.
Track balance sheets. Look beyond June 10th. Trying to convince himself that, even in the event of a defeat, City’s season with the Premier League and FA Cup already on the bulletin board will still remain positive. “In this club I learned that overexcitement is not for us. We’re going to Istanbul to make a dream come true and we’ll try to play a good game – he says -. We had the chance two years ago and didn’t make it, while last year we narrowly missed it. This year we have arrived and we will try to give our best. We will approach this game as we always do in the Premier League; we will make sure that the players are focused on what they have to do, nothing else”.
Curriculum Vitae
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His curriculum, both as a directing midfielder who – among others, contemplates the stages of Brescia and Rome in Italy – and as a coach – he has triumphed with Barcelona, Bayern Munich and City – is undeniable. And it is no coincidence that Pep remembers it. A little to himself. Especially to those who don’t particularly love him and wait for the slightest foothold to criticize him. “As a coach I reached ten semi-finals of the Champions League and played in three finals, winning two with Barcelona; now I’m in the fourth final. The competition has given me more than I could ever have imagined. If my life ended today, I would have won one as a player of the club I love (Barcelona, ed) so much and two as a coach” explains the Catalan coach.
Philosophy
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Then he refers to sportsmanship without disdaining philosophy: “Football gives and takes away. Life is full of injustices, but whatever is unfair to me is right for Atletico Madrid, for Real Madrid and also for Barcelona. That’s the way the world is. We always want more and it’s wrong. You must be ambitious, but not greedy. This competition has given me very sad moments that have hurt me, which will remain forever in my mind, but also beautiful moments that will remain with me forever. That’s how life works, and sport too.”
Growth
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“Many clubs have destroyed projects and ideas because they have not managed to win this competition and many have become great clubs because they have succeeded – says Pep again -. While I don’t think so, I understand that everything we’ve done all these years, which has been great, will only make sense to others if we win. If we don’t win, things will seem to make ‘less sense’ – it’s a bit unfair but we have to accept it. We also have to accept that if we want to take a definitive step and be a great club, we have to win in Europe. We have to win the Champions League, we can’t avoid it, but the most important thing is to always be there. We were there two years ago, two years later we’re back. We will try again and the most important thing is to be here again in a few years. This is what makes you a great club: year after year, you reach the last stages of the Champions League and maybe even win the title.”
No failures
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For Guardiola “failure does not exist in sport. Admitting that you have failed is like saying that your opponent is worthless: can’t it be that he played better? You just have to try, sport is like that. Try again and get up. When you win, you must celebrate properly and privately; when you lose, you can cry a little and come back the next day. Sport is this: if you try, you don’t fail”.
June 6 – 12.15pm
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