Manchester City manager, Pep Guardiola believes that the club’s treble “was written in the stars” after beating Inter Milan in Champions League Final.
Rodri’s 68th minute winner saw Man City beat Inter Milan in a tense UEFA Champions League Final in Istanbul, Turkey last night (10 June), which saw them become only the second English club to claim a historic treble after Manchester United in 1999.
The result also meant that he became the first manager to achieve two European trebles with two different clubs, having last achieved that feat in 2008-09 season with Barcelona.
“Sometimes it looks like this competition this year, this final was written in the stars,” reflected Guardiola as he acknowledged that City could of lost the match, as he added: “The goal, the chances they had. Ederson’s save where in extra-time you could lose the game.”
Guardiola also iterated that his team shouldn’t change their attitude as he continued: “I will be the same person and we will be the same team and we will be the same Club.
“Today was our year, but in the past to do it of course we are incredibly satisfied to achieve something unique, the Treble for this club.
“The feeling I have right now is we leave the Champions League and give credit to the five Premier Leagues. In seven years, two FA Cups, four Carabao Cups, Community Shields.
“That gives credit to what we have done. We have to win Europe to be considered one of the really good teams and we win it.”
The Catalonian proceeded to admit that City’s “physicality” won them the game amidst extensive “suffering” in a poor performance, especially compared to City’s peak quality at times this season.
Guardiola therefore put their treble-clinching win down to fate as he commented: “Sometimes you need this type of luck that in the past, against Tottenham and in other games, the final against Chelsea, we didn’t have it. Today we had it.”
On next season’s ambitions, Guardiola iterated that he is keen to build upon this season without explicitly aiming for a quadruple, consisting of; League Cup, FA Cup, Champions League and Premier League.
Next season though will see City in contention for three further trophies alongside the aforementioned quartet, with Guardiola’s Cityzens also set to challenge for; UEFA Super Cup, FIFA Club World Cup and FA Community Shield titles.
The 52 year-old proceeded to clarify his ambitions as he said: “Now we have the first and the people can say ‘Manchester City have already the first Champions League’. But I don’t want after one Champions League to disappear.
“So, we have to work harder in the next few years, next season and be there.
“There are teams who win the Champions League after one or two seasons and disappear. We have to avoid it.”
Guardiola ultimately admitted that winning the Champions League title “is a big relief” for everyone aat the club.
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