MANCHESTER, England — Pep Guardiola dismissed speculations about whether he has played his last game in the Champions League, expressing optimism about Manchester City‘s future following their exit to Real Madrid.
City faced a 2-1 defeat on the night and a 5-1 aggregate loss, marking the third consecutive year they have been eliminated by Real Madrid.
– Real Madrid inflicts another setback on Guardiola’s Champions League legacy
– Vinícius comments on emotional celebration aimed at City fans
With questions lingering about Guardiola’s future at the Etihad Stadium beyond the summer, there are fears he may have just managed his final match in the prestigious tournament he has won three times.
However, when questioned about his next steps, the 55-year-old deflected the inquiries, instead focusing on the team’s potential for the upcoming season.
“Oh, everyone wants to get rid of me, right?! Oh my God, guys!” Guardiola remarked. “One day I will come here and say, ‘bye-bye, guys!’ But for now, I’m still here, with one more year left on my contract. The future is bright, and we will be back next season.”
City began the match on a strong note against Real Madrid but faltered after Bernardo Silva was sent off midway through the first half.
Silva received a red card for handling Vinícius Júnior‘s shot on the goal line, leading to a penalty which the Brazilian converted, scoring again in stoppage time after Erling Haaland had briefly equalized before half-time.
“It’s not a mistake; it’s the first red card of his career—just a reaction,” Guardiola said regarding Silva’s dismissal. “It could have been avoided. Had we scored a goal and stayed at 11 against 11, it would’ve been different. I would never blame my player for that. I genuinely wished we could have maintained our strong start and played 11 against 11, but that’s football. Madrid is an exceptional team that capitalizes on errors.”
Despite needing three goals in the second half, Guardiola substituted Haaland with over 30 minutes remaining, confirming that the decision was tactical and stating that Haaland would be fit for the upcoming match against Arsenal in the Carabao Cup final on Sunday.
“We had a few chances early in the second half, and had we scored, it could have changed things. But I wanted fresh legs and different options,” he explained.