Manchester City Manager Urges Team To Seize Treble Chance

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola urged his players to seize the opportunity of a lifetime to win a treble by securing the club’s first UEFA Champions League trophy after they beat arch-rivals Manchester United 2-1 in the FA Cup final on Saturday.

Victory in the first-ever all-Manchester FA Cup final, secured by Ilkay Gundogan’s brace, came hot on the heels of a fifth Premier League title in six seasons under the Spaniard.

• Read more: Man City Beats Man Utd To Win FA Cup

Guardiola now joins Arsene Wenger and Alex Ferguson as the only managers to win the English double more than once, having also achieved it in the 2018-19 season.

Manchester City can now achieve sporting immortality next Saturday in Istanbul against Inter Milan when City can be crowned European champions for the first time and match Manchester United’s 1998-99 unique treble under Ferguson.

“One more to come, one more to go and we feel it that we are in a position we probably will never be again,” Guardiola told reporters. “Everything will not be complete if we don’t win the Champions League now. We have done some incredible seasons.”

“Premier League to FA Cup to League Cup, but we have to win the Champions League to be recognised how the team deserves to be recognised. We have to admit it, without the Champions League, it has been amazing and fun but we’ll miss it.”

“We have to take our responsibility and we have to do it,” Guardiola added.

Guardiola was tearful at the final whistle as he embraced his celebrating players. But he quickly re-focused on the bigger picture that is now looming large.

“To win the FA Cup the emotions are really special. Now is the first time I can talk about the treble… It is one game away,” said Guardiola, who led Barcelona to a treble of La Liga, the UEFA Champions League and the Copa del Rey in 2008-09.

“I’m thinking about what we have to do to beat Inter. I spoke with the players many times. Forget about it. Focus on what you need to do to beat Inter.”