‘A welcome break’
As the Premier League leaders enjoy a training session in Abu Dhabi, their captain tells John McAuley of his dream to lead the club to their first title in Europe’s leading club competition this season
Manchester City players enjoy respite from Britain’s grey winter with a training session at Emirates Palace hotel yesterday. Leroy Sane, winger with the Abu Dhabiowned league leaders, says the team’s stay in the capital could be crucial to their campaign for more trophies.
Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany says winning the Uefa Champions League would represent the greatest achievement of his career as he waits to discover his side’s quarter-final opponents on Friday.
The Belgian, in his 10th season at Etihad Stadium, has thus far helped the club capture every major domestic trophy on offer in England, including twice lifting the Premier League title. Kompany looks well placed for a third top-flight crown with City 16 points clear at the summit with eight matches remaining.
In fact, they can clinch the title with six games to spare at home to rivals Manchester United on April 7.
In contrast, the Champions League has until now eluded Kompany, something he is seeking to put right this campaign. City are considered one of the favourites to clinch club football’s most coveted prize for the first time in May after they booked their place in the last eight by defeating Swiss side Basel 5-2 on aggregate.
The draw takes place at Uefa’s headquarters in Nyon on Friday afternoon and includes defending champions Real Madrid, five-time winners Barcelona and Juventus, last year’s runners-up.
Speaking in Abu Dhabi on Thursday as City enjoy a five-day, warm-weather training camp, Kompany highlighted what winning the Champions League would mean to him.
Yet the experienced centre-back added is under no illusion as to the difficulty of the road ahead.
“For me personally, it’d be the greatest achievement of my career,” Kompany said.
“But it’s such a difficult competition to play. Because you are literally now with eight teams who each have a right to claim that they want to win this trophy. Every game now is just a 50-50 chance, virtually.
“I always believe that luck and faith will be on my side more than the other side. But I just a hope everyone will
I just hope everyone will believe in it as much as I do and then we will have a chance VINCENT KOMPANY Manchester City captain
believe in it as much as I do and then we will have a chance.”
The City players will watch the draw together in Abu Dhabi knowing they sit only four matches away from the final at Kiev’s Olympic Stadium on May 26.
Midfielder Ilkay Gundogan has contested the showpiece before, scoring the equaliser in 2013 when his Borussia Dortmund side lost 2-1 to fellow Germans Bayern Munich. Arjen Robben notched the winner in the final minute at Wembley.
Gundogan, 27, has become an increasingly influential player at City this season after overcoming an injury-plagued debut campaign at the club. Winning the Champions League would presumably be extra special for the German international, although he is keen to stress City constitute only one of eight teams talented enough to win the competition.
Given the capabilities of any potential opponent at this juncture, Gundogan said he does not favour meeting anyone in particular in the quarter-final.
“At the end, you need to play against the best to win this trophy,” he said. “So to be honest, it doesn’t matter if it’s now. OK, if we’re maybe a little bit lucky, but at this stage it’s difficult to say about any opponent that you feel lucky playing against.
“In the end you need to compete against the best and to come to the final. I was lucky to play the final in 2013 with Dortmund and unfortunately we lost, so obviously I can’t wait to come back into the final and win it this time.
“This is the main target.”