While Paris Saint-Germain and FC Bayern were engaged in a historic shootout, Pep Guardiola was in the stands at an English third-tier club. The Manchester City manager has now explained his reasoning.
The highest-scoring Champions League semi-final in history, even dubbed the ‘game of the century’ by the English Sun: Paris Saint-Germain and FC Bayern held the football world in suspense with their spectacular duel at the Parc des Princes last Tuesday.
However, Pep Guardiola missed the spectacle because he was simultaneously watching the English third-tier match between Stockport County and FC Port Vale live in the stadium. Photos of Guardiola at the venerable Edgeley Park caused a stir on social media.
At a press conference on Friday in the lead-up to Manchester City’s game against FC Everton, Guardiola, who himself managed FC Bayern from 2013 to 2016, was asked about his surprising choice. «The day before, I looked at the schedule, saw PSG against Bayern Munich, and told myself: ‘What a catastrophic game. The coaches are not good, really lousy players’,» Guardiola said, not without irony. «I love English football, so I decided to go to Stockport.»
Incidentally, Guardiola significantly influenced the two «not good» coaches. Vincent Kompany was once his captain at Manchester City. Luis Enrique managed Barca’s reserves from 2008 to 2011, while Guardiola was on an impressive winning streak with the first team.
Pep Guardiola is fighting for the league title with Manchester City
Guardiola’s City were eliminated from the Champions League this season in the round of 16 by Real Madrid. In the Premier League, the Sky Blues are currently in a close title race with FC Arsenal. City have already won the League Cup, and on May 16, they will face FC Chelsea in the FA Cup final.
Incidentally, Port Vale surprisingly won 2-1 at Stockport but had already been relegated from the third-tier League One before the match. Stockport, meanwhile, is still fighting for promotion to the Championship.