Man City’s stars shine brightest at showpiece
Pep’s English champions boast most players in quarterfinals
Samara – With many of Manchester City’s players still competing in the latter stages of the World Cup, the influence of Pep Guardiola’s English champions is being felt across the globe.
As eight teams prepare for the quarterfinals, the majority of the City team that ran away with the Premier League title by a record 19 points are still competing in Russia, trying to cap the season with the ultimate prize – a World Cup winners medal.
The likes of club captain Vincent Kompany and midfield maestro
Kevin de Bruyne of Belgium are getting ready to face their City teammates Gabriel Jesus, Danilo and Fernandinho of Brazil.
Meanwhile, the Manchester club’s English contingent of Kyle Walker, Fabian Delph, Raheem Sterling and John Stones are all key members of Gareth Southgate’s team preparing for Sweden. With City’s goalkeeper Ederson also in the Brazil squad, the English side have more representatives in the last eight than any other club, with 11 players still in Russia. Paris St Germain and Barcelona, the French and Spanish champions respectively, are also well represented with six key players remaining at the World Cup. Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich have one representative left in the quarterfinals, in France’s Corentin Tolisso.
This is not the first time players from a club managed by Guardiola have made an impact at the World Cup. In consecutive tournaments, he has been the coach of the club champions of the nation who went on to win the World Cup – Spain and Germany.
With Guardiola among the world’s top managers and with his teams possessing enviable talent, it is perhaps no surprise that his influence has been felt at the sport’s showpiece event.
If history is to repeat itself and City’s success is replicated by the national team in the World Cup final, England fans may have a Catalan to thank.