The Reasons Behind Pep Guardiola and Bernardo’s Anger

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola and Bernardo expressed their frustration during the post-match interview despite leading their team to the FA Cup final. Guardiola was particularly irate about the quick turnaround for his players after the UEFA Champions League match against Real Madrid.

“It’s unacceptable to let us play today,” Guardiola said. “It’s impossible, for the health of the players. It’s not normal. It’s unacceptable. 120 minutes, the emotions of Madrid, the way we lose, honestly.”

City played against Real Madrid on Wednesday, resulting in a 1-1 draw and a loss in the penalty shootout. Guardiola criticized the decision to schedule their match against Chelsea on Saturday instead of Sunday, like other teams who did not have a midweek game.

Guardiola expressed his bewilderment at how his team managed to perform against Chelsea, emphasizing the negative impact on the players’ well-being. “I know this country is special [with the FA Cup] but it’s for the health of the players. I don’t understand how we survived today.”

“Do you think demanding will change something?” Guardiola questioned. “The only power I have I say here. Why don’t we play tomorrow? Chelsea, Manchester United, Coventry didn’t play midweek.”

Bernardo Silva supported Guardiola’s claims of fatigue, acknowledging that the team was tired after playing 120 minutes in the midweek match. Despite their exhaustion, Silva scored the only goal of the match against Chelsea, securing their place in the final.

“Physically we were so tired because we had two days to rest, and they had five or six,” Silva stated. “It’s not even fair to think that we had to play 120 minutes less than three days ago and Chelsea had five days to stay at home and think about this game.”

Although they faced challenges due to the scheduling, Silva highlighted the team’s fighting spirit to bring happiness to the fans and secure another chance to compete for the FA Cup at Wembley.