City players pay for fan buses

MANCHESTER CITY stars are paying for 26 coaches to take their fans to next month’s FA Cup final. Pep Guardiola’s side face Watford at Wembley on May 18 and captain Vincent Kompany revealed the gesture is out of gratitude for the support they have enjoyed while chasing four trophies this season. Kompany said: ‘Travelling to so many games in league and cup competitions, both home and away, is not easy to do and is something that every player in our squad values and appreciates. The support from our fans throughout the season has been nothing short of incredible.’ City say they will look to provide additional coaches should there be a demand. Kompany also paid tribute to City’s fans after their Champions League quarterfinal defeat against Tottenham on Wednesday night. Guardiola had called on the club’s supporters to prove they wanted their team to succeed in Europe. ‘Although the result was not the one we had hoped for, it was very special to hear our fans in full voice for 90 minutes backing the team,’ Kompany added. ‘We still have so much to fight for this season, and this is our way of saying thank you to them for being with us every step of the way.’ The gesture comes even though City missed out on bonuses of up to £1million per man after losing so dramatically to Spurs on away goals. The squad are due bonuses ranging from around £600,000 to £1m if they ever lift the biggest prize in European football.