Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola maintained his strained relationship with the media following their draw against Real Madrid on Tuesday night.
While there was talk of closing the roof at the Santiago Bernabeu to contain the noise, Guardiola believed Real Madrid President Florentino Perez could have focused on other improvements.
Before the match, Guardiola was asked if his players would attempt to provoke Vinicius Junior into a yellow card, leading to his suspension for the return leg. This suggestion didn’t sit well with Guardiola.
After the game, Guardiola was again questioned about the roof, but he shifted the focus to the quality of the pitch. He expressed a preference for open skies but acknowledged the impressive stadium.
However, he urged for improvements in the pitch quality, emphasizing the importance of having a good playing surface.
Rodri Hernandez echoed Guardiola’s sentiments, stating that the poor condition of the pitch affected Manchester City somewhat, though he stressed that it wasn’t an excuse for their performance.
Reports also indicated that the Real Madrid squad shared similar frustrations with the pitch quality. This has been a longstanding issue at the Bernabeu exacerbated by renovation work surrounding the stadium.
During Guardiola’s tenure at Barcelona, it became customary to suspect that Real Madrid deliberately maintained longer grass and provided less water to slow down the ball’s movement.
This tactic was a source of frustration for Guardiola and Xavi Hernandez, and Guardiola evidently felt that the pitch standards were lacking once again on Tuesday.
What did you think of the roof?
"Honestly I like to see the sky. But no doubt it's impressive. Now they just have to take care of the grass, that's the only thing to improve."
"The only thing Florentino has to worry about next having a good pitch."pic.twitter.com/z6rD7I7ixk
— Football España (@footballespana_) April 10, 2024
