Manchester City’s technical director, Pep Guardiola, humorously answered questions about whether this was his last Champions League match, despite the elimination against Real Madrid. City fell 2-1 in the second leg, and 5-1 on aggregate, marking the third consecutive time Real Madrid eliminates them from the European competition. With doubts about Guardiola’s continuity at the Etihad Stadium beyond the summer, it was speculated that this could have been the last match of the Catalan coach in the competition he has won three times.
Guardiola, with one more year on his contract, was optimistic about the team’s future. The match against Real Madrid, although City started well, was affected by the expulsion of Bernardo Silva in the middle of the first half. Silva was penalized for a handball after a shot by Vinícius Júnior. The Brazilian converted the penalty and scored again in added time, after Erling Haaland equalized before halftime. “It’s not a mistake, a red card, the first of his career, it’s a reaction,” Guardiola commented on Silva’s expulsion. Guardiola explained that the decision to substitute Haaland in the second half was tactical, and assured that the player will be fit to face Arsenal in the Carabao Cup final on Sunday. “If we had scored in the second half, we had some opportunities in the first few minutes, but I wanted fresh legs and other people,” Guardiola explained.Oh, everyone wants to fire me, right?! My God, guys!”, said Guardiola.
Pep Guardiola
