UEFA Champions League
Guardiola eyes Champions League flourish to ‘exceptional’ Man City legacy
Pep Guardiola says his legacy as Manchester City boss is already “exceptional” as the English champions aim to finally turn their domestic dominance into European glory.
City host Real Madrid in the second leg of their Champions League semi-final on Wednesday with the tie delicately poised at 1-1.
Victory over the Spanish giants would put Guardiola’s men in prime position to become just the second side ever to win the treble of Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup in the same season.
City need just one win from their final three Premier League games to guarantee a fifth title in six seasons under Guardiola but they have never been crowned European champions.
They may never have a better chance as the winners of their clash with Madrid will be strong favourites to beat either AC Milan or Inter Milan in next month’s final in Istanbul.
– Legacy –
“My legacy, our legacy is exceptional already,” Guardiola said at his pre-match press conference on Tuesday.
“We are not stupid (not) to know how important is tomorrow’s game. It’s one of the most important since we are together here.
“We cannot deny that, for the competition, for the rival, for many things. I said to the players ‘live it like a huge opportunity, enjoy the moment’.
“How fortunate we are. We are incredibly lucky to be here. It’s in our hands, it depends on us, we don’t have to do something exceptional, just be ourselves and win one game to reach a final.”
City’s dreams were shattered by a stunning late Madrid fightback when the sides met in last season’s semi-final.
But this time Guardiola’s men crucially have home advantage in the second leg and boast a formidable record at the Etihad.
City have not lost at home in the Champions League for five years and have won all 14 games on home soil in 2023.
“It’s a dream come true to be here,” added Guardiola, who twice won the competition as Barcelona coach.
“We arrive really good for the fact we are in the FA Cup final, one game away to win the Premier League and semi-final of the Champions League, but at the same time we have to play much better than the Madrid (away) game.”
City meet Manchester United — the only side to have completed the treble — in the FA Cup final at Wembley on June 3.
As influential as Guardiola has been during his seven years in charge, the transformation in City’s fortunes came long before the Catalan’s arrival, when the club was taken over by Emirati royal Sheikh Mansour in 2008.
Billions of pounds have been poured in on and off the pitch to make City the dominant force in English football.
Defender Kyle Walker said the players owe it to the club’s owners to deliver the Champions League title.
“The club is missing that one,” said the England international, whose head-to-head with Madrid star Vincius Junior will be one of the key tussles in the second leg.
“For the owners, the amount of money they’ve pumped into this club, we owe that to them. We owe it to ourselves as well.”
-AFP
UEFA Champions League
How Heineken Made UEFA Champions League History in Nigeria
![](https://www.sportsvillagesquare.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Cheers-to-Hard-Core-fans-of-Real-Madrid-with-consumers-enjoying-the-best-moment-put-together-by-Heineken.jpg)
Nigerian football fans enjoyed the magic of the Champions League final first-hand thanks to Heineken’s unforgettable Viewing Experience across the country over the weekend.
Heineken transformed viewing centres into vibrant celebrations as Real Madrid secured their historic 15th title with a 2-0 victory over Borussia Dortmund at Wembley Stadium.
“Heineken is all about celebrating the beautiful game with true fans,” said Maria Shadeko, Portfolio Manager of Premium Drinks at Nigerian Breweries Plc. “We wanted to recreate the electric atmosphere of Wembley right here in Nigeria, and judging by the incredible energy at our Watch Parties, we achieved that!”
Unbeatable fun across Lagos
From Lagos to Port Harcourt, Abuja to Enugu, the night was alive with the spirit of football. Fans at the Jewel Aeida on Lekki, Lagos, were treated to captivating performances by music stars like Mia, Dotun, Crowd Kontroller, Big N, and the electrifying finale by Adekunle Gold.
While the Muri Okunola Park in Victoria Island pulsed with the energy of the female DJ duo, Wanni x Handi, the passionate crowd at the Lagos Terraform mirrored the energy at the Green House on Oba Adeyinka Oyinkan Ave, Ikoyi, and Stalad Gardens in Abule Egba where fans revelled in the action on giant screens while enjoying Heineken’s refreshing brews
Heineken ensured every fan experienced the best viewing experience possible, all laced with unbeatable entertainment.
Party after party across the Nation
The electrifying atmosphere wasn’t limited to Lagos. Port Harcourt witnessed a phenomenal performance by music sensation Oxlade at Oak Park and Gardens.
Abuja residents also enjoyed an unforgettable night at Papiee’s Metropolis on Ahmadu Bello Way, where Alternate Sound kept the excitement levels soaring with their dynamic performance.
Fans in luxurious comfort at the Transcorp Hilton on Aguyi Ironsi Street also revelled in the night’s festivities.
The magic of Heineken’s Watch Parties extended beyond major cities. Fans in Ibadan, Benin City, Enugu, and Owerri all shared in the unforgettable experience, uniting in their support for their favourite teams and celebrating Real Madrid’s monumental victory.
Heineken’s Watch Parties successfully recreated the Wembley atmosphere, proving that the beautiful game can unite and ignite joy across Nigeria.
As Maria Shadeko states, “We are thrilled to have played a part in this historic night for football fans. Here’s to many more celebrations together!”
UEFA Champions League
Real Madrid come full circle with second great European dynasty
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Real Madrid added another chapter to their already astonishing love affair with European soccer’s elite club trophy by claiming a 2-0 win against Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League final on Saturday as they were crowned for the 15th time.
The story of the season they finished at Wembley was about two generations of players who met, bonded as a group and connected on the pitch like a well-oiled machine to establish the second great dynasty Real spent half a century looking for.
It all started at the dawn of the competition when, during the Alfredo Di Stefano years, the Madrid side won the first five editions of the European Cup from 1956 and another in 1966.
The current crop of youngsters and seasoned veterans have matched that with a sixth title in 11 seasons, although Dani Carvajal, who scored the opener, is the only surviving starter from the side that won ‘The 10th’ a decade ago.
Vinicius Jr, hero of their 14th title triumph in Paris two years ago, on Saturday became the first Brazilian to score in two Champions League finals and is the symbol of Real’s young guns who keep proving they can prolong the club’s success.
“Why not think about ‘The Seventh’? We don’t reset, we always want more and more and more,” Carvajal said.
The defender, who matched Real great Paco Gento’s record six European Cup titles along with Toni Kroos, Luka Modric and defender Nacho, was a long-time reserve who stepped up this season and ended it by lifting the trophy as team captain.
“I have never lost a final. I hope the streak continues,” he said. “To get our 15th and my sixth is a wonderful thing. As we keep winning … we end up making it harder for any other team to come close to what this club have accomplished over the history. It is something remarkable.”
REAL’S MOMENTUM
In March, Carlo Ancelotti gave a three-minute insight on managing suffering and happiness inside a changing room to explain the complexity of handling the personalities at a club constantly under pressure and held to such high standards.
He has expertly managed to keep Real’s momentum going after Cristiano Ronaldo, Sergio Ramos, Marcelo, Karim Benzema and Casemiro had all long gone and with Modric, 38, becoming a rotational player in a young squad brimming with talent.
Next year Ancelotti will face another challenge by having to replace Kroos, who has just had a retirement send-off from the fans at the Bernabeu and will stop playing after the Euros.
The Germany midfielder said farewell after delivering the corner for Carvajal to score with a glancing header on Saturday.
But Ancelotti, who as a manager holds the record of most Champions League finals played (six) and won (five), did not seem too worried about the challenge.
“We will have to adapt ourselves to the players we have and try to maximize their qualities like we have always done,” he told a press conference.
“This season we’ve had a lot of problems, we’ve lost quality players. We have solved this with collective sacrifice.
“We didn’t always play at our best, but we never gave up.
“We lose a very important player for us in Kroos, but we will replace him, in a different way. We will think about how.”
-Reuters
UEFA Champions League
Real Madrid strike late to win 15th European Cup
![](https://www.sportsvillagesquare.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/vinicius-Junior.jpg)
Real Madrid were crowned kings of Europe for a record-extending 15th time with a 2-0 victory over Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League final at Wembley on Saturday.
Huge favourites going in to the game, the Spanish side were outplayed for long periods but broke Dortmund’s resistance with late goals from Dani Carvajal and Vinicius Jr.
Veteran right back Carvajal glanced in a header from a Toni Kroos corner in the 74th minute and from that moment Carlo Ancelotti’s side sparked into life.
Vinicius slid home Real’s second in the 83rd minute to silence the yellow-clad Dortmund fans who had created a wall of noise throughout the final.
It was hard on the German side who missed several good first-half chances, the best of which saw Niclas Fuellkrug hit the post from close range.
-Reuters
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