Pep Guardiola Reveals Message He Got From Alex Ferguson Ahead of UCL Triumph

Pep Guardiola Reveals Message He Got From Alex Ferguson Ahead of UCL Triumph

Ero Samson
updated at June 11, 2023 at 8:10 AM
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  • Pep Guardiola emulated Sir Alex Ferguson by winning a historic treble
  • Man City were frustrated by Inter before Rodri's stunning strike gave them victory
  • Guardiola had defeated Ferguson in the finals of his previous two UCL triumph

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola revealed he had received a touching message from Sir Alex Ferguson before emulating the legendary Man United manager by winning a historic treble.

Man City added the Champions League to the Premier League and FA Cup by beating Inter Milan 1-0 on Saturday night.

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Pep Guardiola emulated Sir Alex Ferguson by winning a historic treble. Image: Craig Mercer.
Source: Getty Images

Afterwards, Guardiola said to BT Sport:

'It's an honour for me to be alongside Sir Alex Ferguson. I got a message from him this morning. It touched me. It was nice.'

The 52-year-old Spaniard completed his collection at City as compatriot Rodri fired home the only goal in the 68th minute.

He has now emulated Alex Ferguson whose Manchester United side also swept to a Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League Treble in 1999 and has delivered 12 major trophies for City.

Not only that, but he is the first coach to win two trebles, having achieved the Spanish version as Barcelona manager in 2009, winning La Liga, Copa del Rey and Champions League.

Guardiola has now claimed three Champions League titles as a manager and only Carlo Ancelotti with four has won more.

City’s win written in the stars

But his side were made to suffer against an Inter outfit who threatened to extend City's wait for the trophy that owner Sheikh Mansour has longed for since buying the club in 2008.

'Tired. Calm. Satisfied. It's so difficult to win it,' said an emotional Guardiola after hugging every one of his players and the club's hierarchy.

'Inter are really good. Be patient, I said at halftime. You have to be lucky. This competition is a coin toss.
'It was written in the stars. It belongs to us.'

Guardiola's side, as reported by Goal arrived in the final with only one defeat in their last 27 games in all competitions, were far from their best, although credit must go to an Inter side who executed their game plan and disrupted City's rhythm.

City also had to recover from the blow of losing chief playmaker Kevin De Bruyne to injury in the first half while Erling Haaland, scorer of 52 goals this season, was well shackled by Inter's defence.

'We weren't at our best level. After the World Cup, the team made a step forward and we were there. It wasn't our best performance,' Guardiola said.

Man City completes treble triumph

Earlier Sports Brief reported that City won their first-ever Champions League and the Treble after a 1-0 win over Inter.

Midfielder Rodri Hernandez scored from 15 yards out in the 68th minute to secure a victory over Italian side Inter in Istanbul, capping an unforgettable season for Pep Guardiola's side.

Authors
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Ero Samson
Samson Ero is a sports journalist with a track record of over five years in the Nigerian media industry. He graduated from Nigerian Institute of Journalism (2021-2023).
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