After Manchester City were eliminated from the Champions League by Real Madrid, coach Pep Guardiola made several statements reflecting his disappointment and realistic assessment of the situation. Guardiola acknowledged that Real Madrid was the better team and deserved to win, noting that his team had lost the consistency and outstanding performance it had enjoyed in previous seasons.
Guardiola explained that the absence of Norwegian striker Erling Haaland due to a knee injury greatly affected the team's offensive strength, as Haaland was unable to even go down the stairs normally.
Despite the exit from the European tournament, Guardiola confirmed his commitment to continue with Manchester City and work to rebuild the team to return to strong competition next season. He also stressed the importance of focusing on the remaining local tournaments, such as the English Premier League and the FA Cup, to achieve the best possible results.
In his assessment of Real Madrid's performance, Guardiola praised the quality and dynamism of the team, considering it one of the most prominent candidates to win the Champions League title this season. He indicated that his team will benefit from this experience to learn and improve in the future.
These statements come at a time when Manchester City is facing major challenges on both the local and European levels, which requires the team and the technical staff to work hard to overcome this stage and return to the path of victories.