Slovan Bratislava roll out the red carpet for Man City but Pep Guardiola insists he’s only focused on winning ahead of Champions League clash

There are two men named Vladimir Weiss in Slovan Bratislava. The manager who led Slovakia to the knockout stages of the 2010 World Cup and his son, a Manchester City academy player, who broke down in tears as he discussed a reunion with his old club.

They sat next to each other talking about miracles and how ‘fairy tales come true’ as the Slovak champions await opposition who seem to treat them like distinguished guests.

If there is another red carpet beating through the capital, it will be here on Tuesday evening for Pep Guardiola. And it turned out that the Catalan did not appreciate that attitude.

The exercise in respect from both, but especially from Weiss Snr, spoke of a team that shipped five to Celtic a fortnight ago and were not particularly concerned about their chances of doing better the second time around. His main goal? “Survive,” with a nervous laugh. He mocked the fact that their visitors were missing Kevin De Bruyne and Rodri, and no one in the room blamed him.

Slovan – for the first time in the real Champions League – meets City with awe, not aggression. They talked about acting as ‘worthy opposition’. Perhaps a charm offensive to lull City into a false sense of security, or perhaps not from a side whose European campaign started on July 10 and took them through four qualifying rounds.

“I would compare Pep to Antoni Gaudi,” said Weiss Snr. ‘He built something that no one could understand. He is a genius, just like when Gaudi had his idea for a cathedral and now he has achieved what he set out to do. He has selected players who fit his philosophy.

‘I love Ancelotti and Klopp, but Pep changed football with his attitude, creativity and stubbornness – in a good way. Tomorrow I’ll wake up and it will be reality.’

The 60-year-old did well to find a new way to shower Guardiola with praise. But he is right: the man he is facing is an architect, although the drawings to be designed this season take a different form without Rodri.

“Hasn’t he had a glass of wine?” Guardiola joked when asked about Weiss Snr’s comparison. ‘We are finishing the Sagrada Familia, but it is still not finished. But when you enter this temple, you realize that this person Gaudi – at that time, without 3Ds and all this technology – had the vision to create or invent this kind of thing.

“Hopefully they can finish it sooner or later in my cute and lovely country, Catalonia, and all the people around the world, religious or not, can enjoy it.”

Then Guardiola realized where he was and added: ‘I want to say something honestly: with this start to the press conference it looks like we are going to play a friendly match. These are extremely important three points for us.’

That was largely the fault of his effervescent counterpart, who had wanted Real Madrid when the draw was made in Monaco, while his son – the 34-year-old winger who made one Premier League appearance for City under Mark Hughes – was hoping for his old employers.

He remembers calling his father from the tunnel after scoring his only goal against Arsenal in the League Cup and crying as he looked back on a career that is now in its twilight.

“They are close to my heart,” Weiss Jr. said. ‘I left as a young teenager and when I came back my father said I was a man. I also have very fond memories of the family I grew up with there. It was in Didsbury, a place called Winchester Park. I lived with a woman named Barbara and her husband Les with their children and two dogs.

‘The beginning was extremely difficult for me. I fought through it with the help of my parents and everyone at City. I am very grateful, because the first months that I wanted to return, I was really homesick. It was hard, but it made me who I am, so I’m grateful.

“This game is a reward for everything the people here have given us and we have given them. Tomorrow is about enjoyment. We will try to do everything we can to bring about a miracle.’