The manager of Manchester City, Pep Guardiola, said this Friday that winning the Premier League is more difficult than triumphing in the Champions League, just two days before facing the last day of the English championship, in which the title is played by being with just one point ahead of Liverpool.
The ‘citizen’ side hope to secure their fourth domestic title in five seasons – since Guardiola arrived – while being eliminated in dramatic circumstances by Real Madrid in the Champions League semi-finals.
“I would say it is more difficult,” he said about whether it is more difficult to win the English championship than the Champions League. “There are many weeks and games, injury problems, good and bad times with different situations, difficult opponents,” he commented.
“It’s satisfying because it’s every day. When you fight for the Premier League and succeed right at the end, it gives you the feeling that you really enjoy yourself. We are happier in our lives when you win, “acknowledged the one from Santpedor.
“When you win and you win it, it generates good training sessions, a good atmosphere and a good mood. It’s not like the FA Cup or a single game, it’s routine. I’m not saying the Champions League isn’t important. We are crazy, crazy to win it. We love her, we love her », he pointed out.
“We would love to be in Paris next week, but winning 38 games, instead of six, eight or nine, is different. I’ve always liked it, since I was a player. The league is beautiful and we are on the verge of that. We are close », he stressed.
But City has not finished the job and will have to reap the same result as Liverpool to be champion, although a victory would help them not to be aware of the ‘reds’ this Sunday. The situation is similar to 2019, when City comfortably won at Brighton to keep Liverpool at bay, again by one point.
«It is difficult to say ‘control your emotions’ when we know exactly what we are playing. They are human beings, they have feelings. Maybe we have to experience something unexpected, feel uncomfortable, but what we can do is react in the best possible way, be positive and not give up, “added the Catalan coach.
“In football, when you think it’s over, it’s not over. Just do exactly what you’ve done in the last month, all the games we’ve played, home and away, and go for it. Today we train as for a normal Premier League game for the whole season, the same. It was nothing special because the importance of the game, they already know. There is nothing to tell them », he sentenced.
City prepare for the decider with the return of defenders Kyle Walker and John Stones after sustaining ankle and thigh injuries respectively. Both had been ruled out for the rest of the season but recovered quicker than expected and returned to training last Thursday. “We have incredible doctors and physios and they have recovered. They did a partial training and we will see this Saturday. It is good for us to have them back”, Guardiola concluded before the media.
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