Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola revealed that both Erling Haaland, their leading goalscorer, and Kevin de Bruyne, their key playmaker, requested to be substituted before their team’s elimination from the Champions League quarter-finals by Real Madrid via penalties.
Had they remained on the field, they likely would have been among the designated penalty takers. City succumbed 4-3 in the shootout following a 4-4 aggregate deadlock.
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Additionally, defender Manuel Akanji was substituted due to lingering effects from recent injuries.
“They asked me to go out,” said Guardiola. “They could not continue.”
BY: EMMANUEL AMOAH
