Pep Guardiola has hilariously insisted that he will always be a failure at Manchester City even if he brings three consecutive Champions League trophies to the Etihad – because his side were once snubbed by his long-time idol Julia Roberts.
The manager was in high spirits during the bizarre and entertaining press conference on Tuesday, which came after his City side had thrashed RB Leipzig 7-0 to cruise into the quarter-finals of the Champions League.
Guardiola revealed that Roberts is one of his three idols, alongside golf legend Tiger Woods and NBA all-time great Michael Jordan, and subsequently claimed he will always be a failure at City as the Hollywood star chose to visit Old Trafford rather than the Etihad when she travelled to England in 2016.
‘I am a failure in the Champions League,’ Guardiola said. ‘If win the Champions League three times in a row I will be a failure.
‘I have three idols in my life. Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, and Julia Roberts. These are my three idols.
‘Julia Roberts years ago came to Manchester – not in the 90s when Sir Alex (Ferguson) was winning titles and titles and titles. She came in the period where we were better than United, in these four or five years, right?
‘And she went to visit Man United. She didn’t come to see us. That’s why even if I win the Champions League it will not compare for the fact that Julia Roberts came to Manchester and didn’t come to see us.
‘Even if I win the Champions League it will not compare to this disappointment I had.’
The American actress visited Old Trafford in November 2016 to watch Manchester United’s 1-1 draw against West Ham.
Jose Mourinho, who that season won the Red Devils the Europa League and the EFL Cup, was sent off on a frustrating afternoon for the home side. Zlatan Ibrahimovic equalised for United after Diafra Sakho’s second-minute strike for the visitors.
Roberts attended the Premier League clash with her cinematographer husband Daniel Moder and her three children, who are believed to be United fans.
She took to the pitch with her family after the game and met Red Devils legend Wayne Rooney, his wife Coleen and former United midfielder Michael Carrick, who is now mounting a promotion charge as manager of Middlesbrough.
Guardiola has yet to win the Champions League with City, although his side are the bookies’ favourites for this season’s competition.
In-form Erling Haaland scored five goals to bag his fifth hat-trick of the campaign at the Etihad, while Ilkay Gundogan and Kevin De Bruyne also netted in the rampant 7-0 thrashing.
City’s 8-1 aggregate win against the German side fired them through to the last eight alongside Bayern Munich, Chelsea, AC Milan, Inter and Benfica.
Real Madrid face Liverpool with a 5-2 advantage from the first leg on Wednesday, while Napoli host Eintracht Frankfurt following their 2-0 first-leg triumph in Germany.
Source: www.dailymail.co.uk
