Pep Guardiola, the manager of Manchester City, has expressed his relief at his team’s eventual victory in the UEFA Champions League.
Rodri’s goal in the second half was sufficient to defeat the Nerazzurri as the Citizens defeated Inter in the championship match on Saturday at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium in Turkey.
Man City has routinely underperformed in Europe despite having great squads and the financial means to spend a lot on acquisitions. Guardiola is frequently criticized for “overthinking” his tactical choices in pivotal matches.
In 2021, they made it to their first Champions League final, but Chelsea defeated them. Two years later, Man City has successfully avenged that shocking loss by winning the treble.
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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.
“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.”
