Clubs ‘tremble’ when Real, Barca come calling, says Guardiola
>> LONDON: Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola says clubs “tremble” when Real Madrid or Barcelona come calling after Raheem Sterling created a stir by expressing his admiration for Real.
The 25-year-old England international, who is under contract at the Etihad until 2023, described the 13-time European champions as a “fantastic club” in an interview with Madrid-based sports daily AS.
The forward was photographed with a City shirt on one shoulder and a Madrid shirt on the other.
City and Real meet in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie at the Bernabeu Stadium on Wednesday, so the timing of Sterling’s interview has raised eyebrows.
Sterling is one of City’s key assets and his future could be up in the air if the club fail in their appeal against a two-year ban from European competitions for breaching Uefa’s financial fair play rules.
Guardiola said Real and Barca, the club he used to play for and manage, were true giants of the European game.
“All the clubs have to know that when Real Madrid or Barcelona knock on the door the other clubs must tremble,” he said on Friday. “They will be in a little bit of trouble.
“Barcelona and Real Madrid are maybe the strongest and most powerful teams in terms of their history and how good they are. That is normal and I understand completely.”
But the City manager is not concerned about Sterling’s head being turned.
“You just see the commitment from Raheem every single day when he arrives,” he said.
“I don’t know if Madrid or Barcelona call his agent, but I don’t have any doubts about his commitment from the first day to the last day that Raheem and other ones have had and will have until the end.”