April 17th 2024.
Both Kevin De Bruyne and Erling Haaland, two of the top players for Manchester City, requested to be substituted during their game against Real Madrid, which they ultimately lost on penalties. The City boss, Pep Guardiola, has now explained the reasoning behind these substitutions.
Guardiola, who led City to a historic treble last season, also guided them to Champions League glory. However, their hopes of repeating this success were dashed as they were knocked out in the semi-finals by Real Madrid. The Spanish team took an early lead through Rodrygo, but De Bruyne equalized for City in the 76th minute, forcing the game into extra-time and eventually a penalty shootout.
Surprisingly, both De Bruyne and Haaland were substituted before the shootout, with Haaland being replaced by Julian Alvarez in the 91st minute and De Bruyne being taken off for Mateo Kovacic just eight minutes before the end of the game. Guardiola has now revealed that both players had requested a rest and were not able to continue playing.
During his post-match press conference, Guardiola said, "Erling Haaland and Kevin De Bruyne asked me to take them out. They were not able to continue playing. They were both amazing during the game." It was clear that Guardiola had no choice but to listen to his players' requests and make the substitutions.
Guardiola also seemed to take a subtle dig at Real Madrid for their defensive tactics during the game. He said, "I would have preferred to win, of course. Congratulations to Real Madrid. They defended very deeply. We did everything we could. I have no regrets. We played exceptionally well in all areas, but unfortunately, we couldn't get the win."
He also praised his own team, saying, "I have a duty to thank these players from the bottom of my heart for the way they played against a tough opponent. Football is ultimately about results, it's a business, and they will move on to the semi-finals while we will not. It all comes down to small margins, sometimes you win a penalty shootout, sometimes you don't."
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