Guardiola is banking on no European ban
PEP GUARDIOLA is confident that Manchester City will have their Champions League ban lifted and will be able to compete in next season’s competition.
The result of City’s appeal against a two-year UEFA sentence will be known later this month and could affect the signing of new players as well as keeping existing stars such as Kevin De Bruyne at the club. City deny any wrongdoing connected with financial fair play regulations.
Following Thursday’s impressive 4-0 victory against Liverpool, the City manager is optimistic that the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) will rule in their favour and he is working on transfer targets on that basis.
‘We are ready,’ he said. ‘I have a lot of confidence and trust with people that we will be allowed to be in the Champions League next year. On July 13 we will know the resolution so all the workers here, the players, the staff, the whole club can continue growing over the next few years.’
City want to spend this summer to try to close the 20-point gap on Liverpool and have money in the bank following the £45million sale of Leroy Sane to Bayern Munich. And John Stones, among others, could be on the way out, adding to City’s bank balance.
Not being in the Champions League would harm their chances of attracting world-class players such as Kalidou Koulibaly, a reported £80m target from Napoli.
De Bruyne has also indicated he would have to question his future at the Etihad if the two-year ban is upheld, though he is prepared to stay without a year of Champions League football if the length of the suspension is reduced.
City have a chequered history in Europe’s premier club competition which they are bidding to win for the first time. Guardiola has been knocked out on away goals by
Monaco and lost to Tottenham in last season’s quarter-final when an injury-time strike by Raheem Sterling was ruled out by VAR.
The fans have also regularly booed the Champions League anthem as a protest to what they perceive as a witch-hunt by UEFA, and a lack of serious action against opponents when Mario Balotelli and Yaya Toure were racially abused in separate incidents.
City beat Real Madrid 2-1 away in their last-16 first-leg tie shortly before lockdown but may not gain home advantage for the return leg. UEFA are considering holding all the remaining second legs on neutral territory in Portugal, which will then host the quarterfinal onwards. ‘Don’t let me talk please,’ grimaced Guardiola when reminded of City’s poor luck in the competition and whether playing away from home would represent another curse. ‘We are incredibly excited to play against Madrid, the king of this competition, in the second leg. We would love to play here, in our city feeling close to our people, but we will go where UEFA decides. If it’s Porto, we will go there.
‘I know exactly what has happened in the last years of the Champions League when it is a competition that the details make the difference. It will always be in my memories. Maybe one day we are lucky.’
The City boss twice won the Champions League early in his managerial career when he was in charge at Barcelona but he has not lifted the trophy since 2011.
‘When you beat opponents like Liverpool, it gives a message to ourselves, that we can do it,’ said Guardiola, whose side face Southampton today.