Pep Guardiola has admitted he may have made mistakes in his team selection when Manchester City lost against Chelsea in the 2021 Champions League final.
City face Internazionale on Saturday in the final in Istanbul attempting to complete the treble, with Kyle Walker a doubt because of a back problem.
Against Chelsea in Porto two years ago, Guardiola’s decision to drop João Cancelo and Rodri, his usual left-back and central midfielder, and choose Raheem Sterling, who had lost his regular berth, caused surprise.
City lost 1-0 to a Kai Havertz strike and the manager received criticism for his selection. On Tuesday he was asked whether this was fair, and whether the experience might affect his decision-making for Saturday.
“It was a gameplan like it will be next Saturday,” Guardiola said. “If I tell you privately the reason why I took the decision in that moment you could say it was right but it is simple: ‘If I lose, I am wrong, if I win I am right.’ You have to accept that in this business. It was a tight game and in many things we were better than them but we lost. Would I do something different now? Maybe but that doesn’t count.”
Walker did not participate in the training session on Tuesday, City’s first since their FA Cup final triumph against Manchester United last Saturday, in which he was replaced towards the end.
“He had a disturbance in his back,” Guardiola said. “Yesterday [Monday] he was not good. Today he was a little bit better. We didn’t want to take a risk and we will see in the next days.” Walker later completed his media duties and said: “I’m fine, I’m just getting old! No, I’m completely fine. It’s just an extra day of recovery.”
The meeting with Inter, who finished 18 points behind Napoli in Serie A, is City’s second appearance in the final of Europe’s premier club competition.
“We must accept that if we want to make a definitive step as a big club, we must win in Europe,” Guardiola said. “We have to win the Champions [League] – that’s something you can’t avoid. But the most important thing is to be there again and again and again. Two years ago, we were there. Two years later, we are here again. We will try, and the most important thing is to be here again in a few years. That’s what defines a big club, when year after year you make it to the Champions League, fighting in the latest stages and winning the title.”
