Pranav Nair
Pep Guardiola aims a dig at Manchester United following Champions League semi-final success
Manchester will have a team in the final of the UEFA Champions League this season. However, it will be City and not United who will take part in the showpiece event.
This comes after the Sky Blues put in an excellent performance to see out a Paris Saint-Germain side who lost in the final last season. It will be Pep Guardiola’s first Champions League final since leaving Barcelona.
Soon to be crowned Premier League champions, the Cityzens are enjoying an excellent season this time around. They have already secured themselves the Carabao Cup by beating Tottenham Hotspur last month.
According to BT Sport (h/t The Mirror), Guardiola has made use of the opportunity to take a swipe at United’s recent success in the competition. The Red Devils last won the competition in 2008 against Chelsea in a penalty shootout.
The enduring moment of the night saw Blues skipper John Terry slip in the lead-up to what could have been the decisive spot-kick. United capitalized and ended up winning their European crown.
Guardiola attributed United success against not just Chelsea but also Bayern Munich in 1999 to luck. It was something that Rio Ferdinand, who was a part of the coverage, did not take too kindly to.
“United won a title because of John Terry’s slip and in the last minute against Bayern Munich.”
A diminished treble?
While City may land themselves a treble this season, United’s accomplishment from 1999 will stand in higher stead, thanks to the FA Cup win. Ferdinand was quick to point it out.
“It’s not the real treble, but it would be a fantastic achievement.”
While City have every right to celebrate their success, maybe Guardiola’s statements were uncalled for. However, unless he can finish the job in Istanbul, it will matter for little.
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There is always an element of luck in football and teams like United often make their own. Whether it be Solskjaer’s heroics at the Nou Camp or Terry’s miss in Luzhinki, it would have mattered for little had United not driven home that advantage.
