Enjoy the moment, Pep tells players before Real clash

MANCHESTER, May 16

Advertisement

Treble-chasing Manchester City may be on a quest for their first Champions League title but manager Pep Guardiola said claiming the trophy will not define his team’s legacy or his own. “My legacy, our legacy is exceptional already,” Guardiola said.

City host holders Real Madrid in the second leg of their semifinal tomorrow, following a 1-1 draw a week ago at the Bernabeu when Kevin De Bruyne scored a sumptuous long-range equaliser after Vinicius Jr’s equally brilliant first-half goal.

Guardiola guided Barcelona to Champions League titles in 2009 and 2011 and, while his City side have won the Premier League in four of the last five years — and could claim a fifth on Sunday — Europe’s elite club competition remains elusive.

City are potentially four wins away from a treble as they play Manchester United in the FA Cup final on June 3.

“My legacy maybe could have a book about it one day,” he said in Spanish. “Legacy is we’ve had a great time, played great football. The best legacy you can have is you performed well and played well.”

To that end, the 52-year-old Guardiola has told his players to soak in the thrill of the moment tomorrow rather than get hung up on the magnitude of the occasion.

“We know how important it is tomorrow, maybe one of the most important ones. We can’t deny that,” Guardiola said. “But I said to the players enjoy the moment, how fortunate we are, how incredibly lucky we are to be here… We’ll do everything, give everything.” — Reuters