Pep Guardiola tells strange Julia Roberts - Man Utd story when describing Champions League 'failure'
By Sean Walsh
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola went off on a Julia Roberts-inspired tangent when describing his and the club's inability to win the Champions League.
The Cityzens advanced to the quarter-finals of the Champions League for a sixth successive season on Tuesday night after hammering RB Leipzig 7-0 at the Etihad Stadium, securing an 8-1 win on aggregate in their last 16 tie.
Erling Haaland grabbed five goals on the night - just the third time that's happened in the history of the competition - to break Man City's record for goals scored in a single season.
The Champions League remains the only major trophy that Man City have competed for but not won in Guardiola's tenure.
Speaking to the media post-match, Guardiola insisted that even if he were to help the club get over their continental hump and lift a European Cup, he has already failed in his mission because he was unable to get legendary actress Roberts to come and watch them instead of rivals Manchester United.
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"I am a failure in the Champions League. If I win the Champions League three times in a row I will be a failure," he began.
"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 Utd. 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."
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