WE’LL BERN UP EUROPE Silva unfazed by ban threat
BERNARDO SILVA insists the looming threat of a European ban will have no impact on Manchester City’s bid for Champions League glory.
City are likely to head to Lisbon in August for a 12-day mini-tournament arranged in the wake of coronavirus.
By then club bosses will know if their appeal to the Court of Arbitration over a two-year suspension for Financial Fair Play offences has been successful.
Silva said: “Of course, what happens with UEFA is an important matter. No one knows what is going to happen so we can only think about things that we can control right now.
“What we can control is to play the competition in the best possible way that we can. We must put all of our energy in trying to win the Champions League this season because whatever happens will happen.
“We will try to do our best this year and not worry about anything else.”
City will face Real Madrid on either August 7 or 8 as hot favourites to book a place in the last eight, after winning the first leg in the Bernabeu
2-1 in February. If they go through, it will mean a homecoming that Lisbon-born Silva wants to savour, as Pep Guardiola looks to guide City to their first European triumph in 50 years.
The winger added: “For me personally it is an extra motivation to try to do well in the Champions League. It is a special competition and it is going to be a unique event played in my home city.
“To fight for the title in my city would mean a lot because I missed the 2016 Euros when Portugal won the trophy and was hoping to play in this summer’s tournament before the pandemic.
“We know we are no longer fighting for the Premier League. We want to defend the FA Cup but we all know what the Champions League means.
“This club has never won it, I’ve never won it and most of the players haven’t.
“Our goal is to really go for it because it’s a big opportunity to win the biggest competition.”
City entertain Burnley tomorrow night having beaten Arsenal 3-0 in their first game after lockdown.
It is another opportunity for Kevin De Bruyne to show why many at The Etihad believe him to be the best footballer in the Premier League. And
Tomorrow, 8pm, Sky Sports & Sky One
BEST IN THE BIZ? Kevin De Bruyne
Silva, 25, admitted the lack of individual recognition for City players is a source of frustration at the club.
He said: “I can’t understand the situation. Kevin should have won the player of the year two years ago because he was clearly the best player in the league that season.
“People vote for it so it is a fair process but I can’t understand why City players don’t get the recognition they deserve.
“We can’t do anything apart from try to win as many titles as we can as a team.
“Liverpool will win the league this season and it has to be said that some of their players have been very good.
“But Kevin has been outstanding – and I think he deserves to win it.
“He isn’t just one of the best players in the Premier League, he is one of the top three in the world. In the three seasons I have been here our players haven’t got the recognition
they deserve.”