Abraham P. Romero Madrid
Madrid
Updated Monday, April 8, 2024-20:29
The Santiago Bernabéu
press room
was packed to receive one of the men who had visited it the most times.
Pep Guardiola , who decided that
Manchester City's
training
prior to the
Champions League
first leg against Madrid was going to take place on English soil and not on the
Chamartín
pitch , led the 'citizen' expedition that landed in
Spain
at a quarter to seven pm.
The press conference was scheduled in the
UEFA
schedule for 7:15 p.m., but it was not until
7:45 p.m.
, half an hour late, when
Rodri and Guardiola
appeared at the door of the room. It was too optimistic to think that the bus could cross the city during rush hour in just a few minutes.
The coach and a Spanish footballer spoke. It sounds logical. And he is, but he has the superstition part of him. Last year,
City decided to change the hotel
that the team used when visiting the Bernabéu in the 21-22 season, with that historic comeback in stoppage time and extra time. Before the semi-final first leg, they slept at the
Villamagna Hotel
and Rodri was the one chosen to speak to the press. It went well and this year they wanted to repeat it. Same hotel, same spokesperson.
"
We don't think much about last year
, we know that it is a different Madrid, they play differently and they are always the favorites," said the Spanish midfielder, who did not want to give much importance to the hypothetical advantage that Madrid may have for having been without the team for eight days. play any game. "We are in the fight for the Premier and we don't rest.
They had the break for the Cup final
and they have been able to rest, perhaps it is a bit of an advantage. But it doesn't worry us."
The former Villarreal and Atlético player praised Bellingham and Kroos. "
We know Jude
because we met Dortmund a couple of times. I don't like to focus on just one player. Now with him they have more control of the game, they have changed the way they play, they arrive more from the second line...
Kroos is the metronome
."
"The liberating thing is winning the Champions League"
Minutes later Guardiola appeared, with a serious expression and a relaxed argument. "
It is almost impossible to beat Madrid twice in a row
," he admitted, referring to last year's 4-0 win in Manchester. "Two seasons ago we lost, last year we won. It's a classic. We have an advantage coming home, but we have to play tomorrow. We will see different games in the same game, they have the power they have in transitions, with
Bellingham, Vinicius, Rodrygo
..."
Questioned about that 4-0, the Catalan coach assured that his team was "much better" than Madrid. "They say that Madrid did very badly, but I don't believe it, we did very well. It's football. I think we are teams of a very similar level," he added, and acknowledged that "
the liberating thing is winning the Champions League, not winning to Madrid
."
The coach wanted to praise Ancelotti: "You
don't know how difficult it is to be a 'good manager
', as they say about him. To be stable, to manage players, not just tactics, millions of factors. I will never consider that Carlo is not a great tactical coach. He put Pirlo in midfield, Kroos in a lower profile, he found Bellingham's ideal position... Let it be clear to him that in Manchester we have a very good opinion of him", and he already announced that the Italian will have sought "alternatives" to 4-0. "It will be different, for sure. Carlo will have looked for alternatives and we have to change something, because we are missing pieces in defense. The game will be different. We will try to speculate as little as possible."
Regarding his future, he admitted that it is "
special
" to arrive at the Bernabéu but that each year it becomes more "routine" as it is repeated so many times. "
I like this business, I have a good time. They pay me well and I have a good time
. I like the competition, I like coming here, trying to move forward... The day I don't, I'll go home."