Pep Guardiola says Man City are “honoured” to be in amongst Europe’s elite as they prepare to face Real Madrid in the Champions League semi-finals.
The Premier League champions knocked out Los Blancos’ rivals, Atletico Madrid, in the last eight of the competition.
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Guardiola says he has “so much respect” for 13-time European champions Real Madrid and insists City can not compete with the La Liga club’s history.
“We arrive how we arrive,” the Spanish manager said (via the Manchester Evening News). “Different competitions, it’s an honour to be here in a semi-final against top teams like Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern (Munich), Liverpool. They’ve been here many times, we have in recent years. It’s an honour to be here.
“Now I feel how nice it is to be there with the best teams in Europe. Try to be ourselves, do two exceptional games to reach the final. We can do it. We have so much respect for Real Madrid, how good they are.
“You want to reach the final, like Liverpool and Villarreal, but never underestimate what we have done to be here.
“If we have to compete with their history, we don’t have any chance. It speaks for itself.
“We have the desire to compete with them. It’s a chance to improve, we want to try it. Try, suffer when we suffer, stick together. Try to attack best as possible. Before the last decade we were never here, reaching the final is always a good lesson for us.
An honour 🙌 #ManCity #UCL pic.twitter.com/JRHzwtYwdH
— Manchester City (@ManCity) April 25, 2022
“The fact they have been here many times, always I said two times in the row being in semi-finals is so difficult. Many good teams are not here, one day we won’t be here.
“So demanding, you have to be so precise. I told players to enjoy this moment. We don’t know if we’ll be back in this position. Enjoy it and try to be ourselves in good moments and bad moments.”
Guardiola continued: “The…
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