Kevin De Bruyne admits Manchester City have a ‘chance to close a chapter’ on their dream of winning the Champions League as Pep Guardiola claims his side are ‘done’, but don’t underestimate Inter Milan
- Kevin De Bruyne says his side have a chance to ‘close a chapter’ tomorrow night
- Man City have landed in Istanbul ahead of tomorrow’s Champions League final
- Today, Pep Guardiola also admitted that he “feels we are ready”
In Istanbul, Manchester City are poised to end their Champions League obsession and complete a historic Treble on Saturday.
Kevin De Bruyne claimed last night that finally winning Europe’s biggest trophy is both a dream and an obsession for the club, with Pep Guardiola believing his players are poised to make history.
Simone Inzaghi’s Inter stand in City’s way in Turkey, while Guardiola’s side look better than they did two years ago when they were beaten by the finalists.
“To achieve things you have to have the right amount of obsession and desire,” said Guardiola. Obsession is a positive word. I feel like we’re ready. It’s definitely a dream.
“We know how important it is. You have to be stable in finals. Inter is historically bigger than us, but what’s important is to give the best possible performance and that can make all the difference.’
Kevin De Bruyne has said Man City have a ‘chance to close a chapter if they win the Champions League final tomorrow night’
His team trained today at the Atatürk Stadium after landing in Istanbul yesterday
De Bruyne admitted his side needed to ‘find a way to win the first Champions League’ after the heartbreak of losing the 2021 final to Chelsea
De Bruyne was asked if the desire to triumph in the Champions League could be described as ‘a dream or an obsession’, and replied: ‘Maybe both. I’ve been here a long time. It’s been incredible for me, the eight years.
“But we didn’t win this game. That’s the only little reminder people can give us. We’ve been consistent, but we have to find a way to win the first one. If we do that it will be huge for the players and the club. We have a chance to close that [chapter] if we’re good enough.’
Already Premier League and FA Cup winners, City will also emulate Manchester United’s famed 1999 Treble team and write themselves into the record books.
They are overwhelming favorites to take the title, but defender Ruben Dias warned against complacency. “People can say what they want, but there are no favorites in this game,” he said.
Pep Guardiola (centre back) also spoke ahead of the game and believes his side are ‘ready’ for tomorrow’s game
De Bruyne (left) also admitted he had an ‘incredible eight years at the club’ ahead of the game
City appear to have been in a positive mood as they trained at the stadium earlier today
Guardiola (center) also got stuck in their training session in the stadium
Ilkay Gundogan (centre), Manchester City’s FA Cup winning captain, dribbled around his teammates during the session
Speaking at the press conference, Pep Guardiola also said he had “no doubt whatsoever” about Erling Haaland’s goal-scoring ability after scoring once in seven games.
Man City gathered around the center circle at Atatürk Stadium as they prepared for tomorrow’s final
Then the decision [time] come, it’s the right place for us. You can see the team’s character in these stages, whether they want to move forward or hide.
“We have shown up every time and Saturday will be no different. We like the pressure.’
City fans routinely mock the Champions League anthem, but Guardiola echoed Ilkay Gundogan’s call for the traveling supporters to enjoy the occasion.
“It’s a day to celebrate,” said Guardiola. “Celebrate being here. What happened in the past has happened in the past. This is an incredible match. We are here to support what UEFA is doing and we are not going to swear anymore. Try to have fun.’