Manchester City's Spanish manager Pep Guardiola gestures on the touchline during the UEFA Champions League, league phase football match between Manchester City and Inter Milan at the Etihad stadium, in Manchester, north-west England, on September 18, 2024 (Photo by Oli SCARFF / AFP) (Photo by OLI SCARFF/AFP via Getty Images)
Manchester City's Spanish manager Pep Guardiola gestures on the touchline during the UEFA Champions League, league phase football match between Manchester City and Inter Milan at the Etihad stadium, in Manchester, north-west England, on September 18, 2024 (Photo by Oli SCARFF / AFP) (Photo by OLI SCARFF/AFP via Getty Images)
Pep Guardiola congratulates Juventus, says the ‘future belongs’ to the Old Lady, but insists the playing style will ‘save’ Manchester City in this tough moment.
Juventus secured a 2-0 win over Guardiola’s City in Turin this evening. Football Italia was among the accredited media at the Allianz Stadium.
Guardiola said in the past that meeting Atalanta was like going to the dentist. Does he feel the same way tonight?
“It’s different. Juventus are a top team, they have always been. I congratulate them, and the future belongs to them,” the Spaniard said at a post-match press conference.
The Premier League giants have lost three of the last six matches, winning just once. Does he question himself after such a poor run of results?
“Of course, I question myself. In good and bad moments,” he replied.
“I tried to find the way, but the game was there. Results give a good boost; today, we conceded fewer chances compared to Premier League games, but in the end, we needed the last moment. We missed it, but we are going to insist.
“We have to accept it, we have to insist, insist, insist. I think we played with the right tempo, we were so close in the final moment.”
A journalist noted that Manchester City didn’t produce enough shots on target and kept passing the ball around the Juventus box too often.
“You are right. We must try to be as many times as possible in that situation,” said Guardiola.
“You think players don’t want to score? There are opponents, there are defenders, and they did great. Congratulations to them. We play this way, and it’s the same way that has brought us to do great things in England and worldwide. The playing style will save us. We have no defence because we haven’t won many games, but the players gave their all, and this moment will make us stronger.”
Lastly, Guardiola denied that he was close to becoming the Juventus coach in 2019.
“No, I was never close,” he concluded.
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