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Nothing Lasts Forever’ As Guardiola Laments ‘Worst’ Man City Season

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Manchester City’s Spanish coach Pep Guardiola looks downwards during the UEFA Champions League knockout phase play-off football match between Real Madrid CF and Manchester City at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid on February 19, 2025. (Photo by JAVIER SORIANO / AFP)

 

Pep Guardiola conceded Manchester City need a rebuild after being swept aside by a Kylian Mbappe hat-trick as Real Madrid progressed to the last 16 of the Champions League 6-3 on aggregate.

Mbappe fired the 15-time winners to a 3-1 second leg win on Wednesday, but much of the damage had already been done for City by conceding two late goals to lose the home leg 3-2 last week.

It is the third time in four seasons that City have been knocked out by the Spanish giants, but the first time since Guardiola joined in 2016 that the English champions have failed to reach the last 16.

The sides were drawn to face off much earlier in the competition this time as City only sneaked through the league phase after finishing 22nd in the 36-team table.

Manchester City’s Spanish coach Pep Guardiola applauds at the end of the UEFA Champions League knockout phase play-off football match between Real Madrid CF and Manchester City at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid on February 19, 2025. (Photo by JAVIER SORIANO / AFP)

 

“The better team won,” Guardiola told Spanish TV station Movistar.

“We have had a bad year in the competition. If you finish 22nd, it is because we haven’t been right. It has been our worst year.”

Injuries have played a significant part in City’s struggles this season.

Erling Haaland did not get off the bench at the Santiago Bernabeu due to a knee injury while John Stones had to be replaced inside the first 10 minutes.

City’s consolation goal came thanks to two of their January signings as Nico Gonzalez tapped in after Omar Marmoush’s free-kick came back off the crossbar.

Guardiola said the rebuild had already begun as City spent £170 million ($214 million) on bringing Marmoush, Gonzalez, Abdukodir Khusanov and Vitor Reis to the club during the mid-season transfer window.

“It is normal. Nothing lasts forever and in the group there are players that have marked an era,” added Guardiola.

“We cannot deny what this group of players have done, winning six Premier Leagues in seven years given what that competition is.

“In Europe always getting to the quarter-finals, semi-finals, final. It says a lot about what we have done.”

Madrid have gone on to win the competition each time they have beaten City in the past four years and Guardiola believes this version of Carlo Ancelotti’s men is the best he has faced.

Real Madrid players celebrate their second goal scored by Real Madrid’s French forward #09 Kylian Mbappe during the UEFA Champions League knockout phase play-off football match between Real Madrid CF and Manchester City at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid on February 19, 2025. (Photo by JAVIER SORIANO / AFP)

 

“This year we faced the best Madrid. In the previous ones, going through or not, we were very good,” he said.

“They are better because they are able to have the ball for long spells, can run, can defend well with a high line when they want, but also defend well with men behind the ball. You have to congratulate them.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

AFP

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Iraola: My Fight With Isak Has Never Been About Goals

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Liverpool head coach Andoni Iraola says Alexander Isak is a “massive” player for him – but adds he “fights” with the player about needing to do more for the “collective”.

 

Isak scored twice in the opening nine minutes in the 2-0 win over Ipswich to take his tally to three for the season – but Iraola hinted the player needs to do more off the ball for the team.

“He’s a massive player for us,” he told Sky Sports. “My demands will not be about the goals: he’s fit, in a good shape and he will produce the numbers.

“But my fights with him are more about other stuff, how to help the team in other situations. But it’s good he has played two full games and today a good amount of minutes, scoring the goals.”

Iraola did not reveal which specific areas Isak needs to improve, but it could be interpreted that Iraola wants his striker to do more in the pressing.

“I will demand other things so we can play well,” he said in his post-match press conference about those demands to Isak. “And if we play well, we are in good positions, the goals will come.

“He has to contribute to the collective and when everyone helps, after the goals and results will come.”

Iraola also said to Sky: “Today we were much, much better in our press. We were recovering very high and then we can contact him in good positions.

“If we recover the ball lower, it will be more difficult to find him to have less spaces. So we need more quality effort to put our No 9 in situations like he had today.”

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‘It’s So Strong’ – Sabalenka Halts Play Over Cannabis Smell

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Aryna Sabalenka briefly halted her US Open match against Kamilla Rakhimova because of a strong smell of cannabis before cruising into the fourth round in New York.

 

Top seed Sabalenka raised the issue after going 3-0 up in the first set against Uzbekistan’s Rakhimova, telling umpire Eva Asderaki-Moore that “someone is smoking weed”.

The Belarusian asked the umpire to intervene “because it’s so strong”.

Asderaki-Moore spoke to an official on her radio and made a smoking gesture to someone behind her, before play continued.

Two-time defending champion Sabalenka went on to secure a confident 6-3 6-4 victory on Louis Armstrong Stadium as she chases a fifth Grand Slam singles title.

Sabalenka said afterwards she was not sure where the smell of cannabis was coming from but asked fans to be more mindful.

Smoking is not permitted on site at Flushing Meadows but the smell of cannabis sometimes wafts on to court from the nearby Corona Park.

It is legal to smoke it in New York for adults aged 21 and over.

“It’s a bit tricky to handle that smell while you’re trying to compete at your best,” Sabalenka said.

“I don’t know if it was coming from the crowd or was from the outside because the wind blows it into the stadium.

“I just hope they’re going to be a bit more aware of that stuff.”

Sabalenka is not the first player at this year’s US Open to complain about the smell of cannabis at Flushing Meadows.

Britain’s Katie Boulter previously said it was distracting, while Harriet Dart and Francesca Jones also noticed the smell.

In past years players including Novak Djokovic and Alexander Zverev have also complained.

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Onana Gets Twins As Salah Welcomes First Son Weeks After Joining Turkish Team

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Egyptian football star Mohamed Salah has welcomed his third child and first son, named Lail, Trabzonspor President Ertuğrul Doğan said after the Turkish club’s third-round league match against Amedspor.

 

Doğan said Salah and his Cameroonian teammate André Onana travelled outside Turkey following the match as their wives were due to give birth.

“After the Amed match, we travelled abroad with Onana and Salah. Onana welcomed twins, while Salah welcomed a baby boy. I congratulate their families and wives,” Doğan was quoted as telling Turkish media.

Salah’s sister, Rabab Salah, later revealed the baby’s name on Instagram, posting a photograph of a baby hat and congratulating her brother on the birth of Lail.

The child is Salah’s first son. The Egyptian star and his wife, Magi, already have two daughters, Makka and Kayan.

Doğan’s comments came after a photograph of Salah and Onana aboard a private jet circulated online, prompting questions among Trabzonspor supporters and local media about the reason for their trip.

The club president said both players had travelled for family reasons following the match.

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