Pep Guardiola delivers expletive-ridden reaction to Man City’s Champions League win
Pep Guardiola insisted it was “written in the stars” during an expletive-ridden reaction to Manchester City securing the Champions League and treble. Rodri’s goal was enough to clinch a 1-0 win in Istanbul over Inter Milan, which also represented the Spanish manager’s second European treble of his career, 14 years after his first with Barcelona. And Guardiola could not hide his relief at edging out the Italians in the final, lauding his team’s “patience” after a tough start. “Tired, calm, satisfied,” Guardiola told BT Sport. “This f***ing trophy, it's so difficult to win it. “It's impossible. It could have gone differently, we knew it, they are really good. Antonio Conte will learn a lot what they do. It's quite similar, They bring you up, they find strikers, link well to feet, then after they run to the other side. The first half we were anxious. “It's a question to be patient. Last time we were 1-0 down in Porto, this time, 0-0, you have to be lucky. Ederson's save, they missed it. This competition is a coin. It was written in the stars. We did it.” Guardiola also bemoaned the length of the season with many players now due to play international matches. “Right now I have no energy to think of the next season, we need a break, the season is too long,” Guardiola added. “Most go to the national team to play games, Uefa, Fifa, think about it, come on. “The Premier League finished two to three weeks ago. These guys will have two to three weeks off and then start again, it’s too much. Next season we’ll start from zero.” Read More Kyle Walker reveals six-word message to Man City teammates ahead of Champions League win Pep Guardiola ended 12 years of hurt thanks to masterful midfield reinvention Man City secure landmark Champions League victory that stretches beyond historic treble
1970-01-01 08:00
Novak Djokovic on cusp of historic 23rd grand slam as he faces Casper Ruud in French Open men's final
For years, the 'Big Three' of men's tennis -- Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic -- have hoovered up grand slams, each providing their own reasons to be crowned as the greatest men's player of all time.
1970-01-01 08:00
Julian Alvarez completes historic quadruple
Manchester City's Julian Alvarez has won four major trophies for club and country this season
1970-01-01 08:00
Kyle Walker reveals six-word message to Man City teammates ahead of Champions League win
Kyle Walker has revealed the six-word message he delivered to his Manchester City teammates ahead of their Champions League final victory over Inter Milan. City completed a historic treble but were made to work hard by Inter as it took a second-half goal from Rodri to finally put them ahead at the Ataturk Stadium in Istanbul, before goalkeeper Ederson made a couple of wonder saves and the Italians hit the crossbar in pursuit of an equaliser. Pep Guardiola’s side eventually did get over the line however and a first Champions League trophy in the club’s history completed the holy grail, to add to their Champions League and FA Cup triumphs this term. Walker has been a key cog in the winning machine, most notably making a brilliant recovery tackle on Vinicius Jr at a key stage of City’s revenge win over Real Madrid in the Champions League semi-finals. However, he was dropped for the final itself – although he was substituted on late in the game to help see it over the line – but, as a member of Guardiola’s leadership group, still delivered a message in the dressing room before the final. And he has revealed the six crucial words he said to inspire his teammates. The England defender told BT Sport after the game: “I said ‘my dream is in your hands’. It's as simple as that. There's no pressure!” Walker also described his emotions at winning the treble and how they interacted with his inevitable disappointment at not being selected to start the final. “I’m over the moon,” he said. “I’m very rarely speechless but my dream has come true, to achieve this with this club. For everything they’ve done for every single one of us over the years. To achieve a treble is unbelievable. “It’s about being a leader. I’m always going to be disappointed when I’m not playing but I’m 33 now. My example sets on to the younger lads. I made a speech before they went out. I was true to my words - it was emotional but this club means so much to me. To experience what I’ve experienced in football, I’m forever in debt. “You can’t say Inter deserved it more than we did or we deserved it more than they did. We’re both here by merit. Commiserations to them but there has to be a loser. “I said to the lads, we have to leave everything on that pitch. We can't work as hard as we have done all season to throw it away. I thought the lads dug deep tonight.” Walker said the victory was all the more special given that City had lost to Chelsea in the 2021 Champions League final and that he was able to share it with his family in Istanbul. “Emotions played a part,” he explained. “The occasion is obviously going to get to you. I got a silver one [medal] last time so to get a gold one is fantastic. “I’m living the dream. My mum and dad are in the stands. From where I come from in Sheffield, it’s not easy. For them to be here, to experience my memories with them. I remember when my mum didn’t have a pound for the ice cream van. To have this with them, I’m so thankful.” And with an inevitably huge party following the sealing of the treble, the 33-year-old laid out his intentions to enjoy the celebrations. He laughed: "I’ll drink anything in front of me. Put any drink in front of me, I'm destroying it!" Read More Man City secure landmark Champions League victory that stretches beyond historic treble Pep Guardiola ended 12 years of hurt thanks to masterful midfield reinvention Man City vs Inter Milan player ratings: Ederson and Rodri earn Champions League glory Man City’s holy grail and Pep’s tactics – Champions League final talking points Kyle Walker insists Champions League win will not define Man City’s achievements The ‘tough’ memory driving Kyle Walker and three teams Man City aim to emulate
1970-01-01 08:00
Kim Zolciak and Kroy Biermann's children caught in a nasty divorce battle, forced to pick sides: Source
'Kim and Kroy are living on different sides of the home, crossing over in the kitchen yelling and screaming at each other in the night,' said a source
1970-01-01 08:00
Champions League win was 'written in the stars', says Guardiola
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola said his team's maiden Champions League title was "written in the stars" after their final victory...
1970-01-01 08:00
Serbia's Rajakovic to become new Raptors coach: reports
Darko Rajakovic, a Serbian assistant coach for the NBA's Memphis Grizzlies the past three seasons, will be hired as the new Toronto Raptors head coach...
1970-01-01 08:00
Aaron Rodgers already hyping up two of his new teammates
While he's been with the New York Jets for a short amount of time, quarterback Aaron Rodger sees great things in two of his new teammates.The New York Jets needed a quarterback to help them make a return to the playoffs for the first time since 2010. They found out that Aaron Rodgers was in...
1970-01-01 08:00
North Carolina GOP censures Sen. Tillis for supporting LGBTQ+ rights, immigration policies
Republicans delegates in North Carolina have voted to censure the state’s senior U.S. senator for supporting policies they say violate the GOP platform
1970-01-01 08:00
De Bruyne again goes off injured in Champions League final but Man City finds a way without him
Manchester City playmaker Kevin De Bruyne’s Champions League final came to an early end — again
1970-01-01 08:00
Final 2022/23 Champions League top scorer standings
Here is the top scorers list for the 2022/23 Champions League campaign, featuring Erling Haaland, Mohamed Salah and Robert Lewandowski.
1970-01-01 08:00
Erling Haaland justifies price tag: His stunning campaign in detail
Erling Haaland finished his debut Manchester City season with 52 goals to his name. The Norway international finished on a run of just one goal in eight games but had already more than justified his bargain £51million price tag. Here, the PA news agency looks at his stunning campaign in detail. Premier League Haaland’s 36 goals were a Premier League record, even including the early 42-game seasons. Andy Cole and Alan Shearer shared the previous high of 34, with Mohamed Salah’s 32 topping the charts for a 38-game campaign, before Haaland rewrote the records. He scored in seven straight league games from August to October – his third to his ninth appearances in the competition – with hat-tricks against Crystal Palace, Nottingham Forest and Manchester United helping him to 13 goals in those games and 18 in a 10-match scoring run in all competitions. A fourth treble against Wolves in January left him one behind Shearer’s record of five in a season while he also had five doubles – against West Ham, Brighton, Leeds, Southampton and Leicester – and scored in 23 of his 35 appearances. He scored against 16 different opponents, the exceptions being Chelsea – the only team to stop him in a pair of league appearances – Liverpool and Brentford. Champions League Haaland arrived in Manchester with 23 Champions League goals to his name in 19 appearances for RB Salzburg and Borussia Dortmund, and has maintained that form. He netted group-stage doubles against Sevilla and FC Copenhagen, either side of a goal against Dortmund, and Pep Guardiola could afford to largely rest his star man for the return fixtures save for a scoreless first-half run-out on his old stomping ground in Germany. He was quiet in a drawn first leg against RB Leipzig but more than made up for it in the return fixture, equalling the competition record of five goals in a game as City won 7-0 and 8-1 on aggregate. Goals in both legs against Bayern Munich took him to a dozen for the European season, though Real Madrid and Inter Milan kept him quiet even as City won their semi-final and final. Domestic cups Haaland’s first FA Cup goals came with a hat-trick in the 6-0 quarter-final win over Burnley, having sat out the clash with Chelsea and not scored against Arsenal. He was not required to produce any heroics in the semi-final or final, won respectively by a Riyad Mahrez hat-trick and an Ilkay Gundogan brace. Haaland was shut out by Liverpool in the Community Shield but did score against them in the Carabao Cup, giving him four goals in seven cup appearances. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Wales boss Rob Page urges Premier League clubs to snap up Daniel James A look at Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City trophy haul after treble triumph How do Manchester City’s treble-winners compare to Manchester United in 1998-99?
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