Cristiano Ronaldo is set to expand his impressive business portfolio by tapping into the UK market, as his stance on retiring from football comes to light
Bruna Reis and Aaron Morris Senior Sports Reporter
15:42, 14 Feb 2026
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Cristiano Ronaldo is reportedly planning to extend his brand into the UK. The 41-year-old, currently playing for Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia, is believed to be interested in introducing his hotel and bar businesses to Britain.
The Manchester United legend teamed up with Portuguese hotel group Pestana in 2016 to launch a range of CR7-branded hotels and bars. He owns CR7-branded establishments in Madrid, Funchal, Lisbon, Marrakech and New York.
According to The Sun, the partnership, which operates Inverse by Pestana CR7 venues throughout Portugal, has applied to register the trademark in the UK. The report suggests that Ronaldo, who remains immensely popular in Manchester, recognises the strong potential market in the city should he decide to open a bar or hotel there.
Ex-United team-mate Gary Neville already operates Hotel Football, located near Old Trafford. While there’s no sign of Ronaldo retiring soon, those close to him reportedly think his increasingly proactive business approach indicates he’s preparing for life after football.
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Despite already amassing a fortune worth hundreds of millions, he continues to broaden his portfolio across fashion, fitness and hospitality sectors.
According to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, which monitors the world’s wealthiest individuals, Ronaldo’s net worth is estimated at £1.04billion.
His worth takes into account career earnings, investments and endorsements, with Bloomberg estimating that his salary income from 2002 to 2023 surpassed £410 million.
His transfer to Al‐Nassr in 2022 saw him sign a reported annual salary of £177million, and he has since agreed a new contract keeping him at the club until 2027.
The 41-year-old sat out matches against Al-Ittihad and Al-Riyadh as a way of expressing his dissatisfaction with Al-Nassr, the Pro League and the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund (PIF).
He has been upset over a lack of transfer activity at the club, as well as the reduced influence of his allies, chief executive Jose Semedo and director of football Simão Coutinho.
However, Ronaldo has since ended his strike action and is expected to play a key part in Al-Nassr’s clash with Al Fateh on Saturday evening.
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Sky Sports discounted Premier League and EFL package
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Sky has slashed the price of its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle for the 2025/26 season, saving members £336 and offering more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.
Sky will show at least 215 live Premier League games this season, an increase of up to 100 more.
Ireland are firmly in the mix, too, and welcome the Scots to Dublin on the final day having beaten their visitors in their last 11 meetings.
France’s snatching of a four-try bonus point in defeat in Edinburgh could well prove crucial, with Les Bleus in control of their own destiny as they host England in Paris in the final fixture of the campaign.
Not only will Fabien Galthie’s side know what they have to do by virtue of playing last, but their vastly superior points difference means a bonus-point win would surely secure them the title.
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Scotland, though, will look to put the pressure on earlier in the day. A bonus point win in Dublin would mean that France could not afford to slip up, or even win without a bonus point.
Ireland, meanwhile, will require a helping hand. A win against Scotland would likely put them top of the table (barring a scenario in which they win by two points or fewer, fail to score four tries and Scotland take two losing bonus points in defeat). Andy Farrell and his squad will then hope that England do them a favour by beating France in Paris.
The winner of the wooden spoon is not yet totally certain, either, though such a large points difference swing is required for Wales to usurp England that it is mathematically highly unlikely.
Should two teams finish level on points and points difference, the next tiebreaker would be the higher number of total tries in the tournament.
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Six Nations table
Played
Wins
Draws
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Losses
Points Difference
Points
1. France
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4
3
0
1
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+79
16
2. Scotland
4
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3
0
1
+21
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16
3. Ireland
4
2
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0
2
+16
14
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4. Italy
4
2
0
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2
-24
9
5. England
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4
1
0
3
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+4
6
6. Wales
4
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0
0
4
-96
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1
Six Nations Super Saturday fixtures
Saturday 14 March: Ireland vs Scotland (2.10pm, Dublin)
Saturday 14 March: Wales vs Italy (4.40pm, Cardiff)
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Saturday 14 March: France vs England (8.10pm, Paris)
Mar 12, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Kraken forward Shane Wright (51) skates against Colorado Avalancheforward Jack Drury (18) during the first period at Climate Pledge Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images
Despite a 2-6-0 record since the Olympic break, the Seattle Kraken somehow held on to the Western Conference’s second and final wild-card playoff spot.
That is, until Thursday night.
The Kraken suffered a 5-1 home loss to Colorado while San Jose won at Boston, putting the Sharks into a postseason position.
Seattle will look to regain that spot and its momentum when it plays Saturday at Vancouver, a squad which has the fewest points in the league.
“We’re falling out of the playoffs right now, so (we’ve) got to figure it out and hopefully claw our way back,” Kraken center Chandler Stephenson said. “Put some points together.”
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This will be the fourth and final regular-season meeting between Cascadia rivals. The teams split shootout decisions on Dec. 29 and Jan. 2, the Canucks winning the former 3-2 in Seattle and the Kraken taking the latter 4-3 in Vancouver.
The host Kraken won 5-1 on Feb. 28 as captain Jordan Eberle had two goals and an assist, Stephenson contributed a goal and two assists and Joey Daccord made 27 saves.
That last matchup opened a six-game homestand for the Kraken. They followed that up with an emotional 2-1 victory against Eastern Conference-leading Carolina, but have lost four straight since.
The Kraken allowed three first-period goals against Colorado on 15 shots, with coach Lane Lambert pulling Daccord after 20 minutes.
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“It was not any reflection on Joey,” Lambert said. “Our team needed a wake-up call.
“You can’t spot that team that many goals. We’ve gotta wake up. We’re doing things that are absolutely mind-boggling to me. It’s gotta stop.”
The Kraken are still awaiting the debut of forward Bobby McMann, acquired from Toronto at the March 6 NHL trade deadline. McMann’s visa paperwork is still being processed.
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“It’s extremely disappointing right now, the uncertainty,” said Lambert, who is familiar with McMann from his time as a Maple Leafs assistant prior to joining the Kraken this season. “We traded for him for a reason, to help our hockey club. Having him not be available to help our hockey team hurts our hockey team.”
The Canucks are 2-4-2 since the Olympic break after a 4-3 shootout victory Thursday against visiting Nashville.
Defenseman Filip Hronek scored the tying goal with 1:01 remaining in regulation as Vancouver rallied from a 3-1 deficit.
“We needed this one,” said Hronek, who also had an assist. “We entered the game with a really good effort and then somehow we got scored on. I’m really happy that we didn’t give up and battled back.”
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Marco Rossi had a goal and two assists, Brock Boeser added one of each and Nikita Tolopilo made 16 saves — then stopped all three Nashville tries in the shootout.
Jake DeBrusk converted his shootout attempt to give the Canucks the victory.
“It’s a boost of confidence, for sure,” Hronek said. “It’s never fun to keep losing so it’s really good that we get that taste of winning. Hopefully we can build on it.”
Canucks forward Evander Kane returned Thursday after missing one game with an upper-body injury.
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. — As the action around the 7th tee box at the Players Championship ground to a screeching halt, Ludvig Aberg and Si Woo Kim stood near a bushel of trees and waited.
And waited.
All told, the twosome of Kim and Aberg spent more than 20 minutes on the tee box on No. 7, the longest wait of any players through the opening two days at this Players Championship. The two men took to the occasion appropriately: Kim, who quietly stopped for a cigarette break under a canopy of palms, and Aberg, who stood out in the sunshine as he stared off into the horizon stoically.
“Yeah, it was a challenge for sure,” Aberg said later. “It’s no secret that I’m a fast player and I like it fast.”
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In golf as in life, the waiting is the hardest part. Tom Petty knew it when he wrote the song that first coined the phrase, “The Waiting,” in 1981. That song and album, Hard Promises, helped propel Petty into his crowning moment as one of the greatest musicians of his time. All that waiting proved helpful — Petty eventually grew famous enough that people listened to him while they waited, which included a few thousand fans in the horrifyingly large merchandise center at TPC Sawgrass on Friday afternoon.
Inside the merch tent or inside the ropes, it’s hard to keep your patience at TPC Sawgrass. A victory at the Players Championship can change the course of your life, as Kim knows all too well. He won here as a 21-year-old in 2017, becoming the youngest champion in tournament history and charting the course of a PGA Tour career that will celebrate the decade mark in 2026.
“I was just surviving after the first year [on Tour],” Kim said Friday. “This Tour is not easy to survive every year. It was a huge win.”
The problem is that career-altering victories — crowning victories — like Kim’s have not arrived often at the Players. The last three winners of the tournament have all belonged to the two best players on earth, Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy, and not since Cameron Smith’s propulsive win in 2022 has a Players winner come from the class of (at the time) major-less pros.
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Through two days at this Players Championship, though, the leaderboard has other ideas. Neither McIlroy nor Scheffler is within ten shots of the lead heading into Saturday morning. (McIlroy, who arrived in town on Wednesday with a bad back, is 1 over and 13 shots off the lead; Scheffler, whose driver delivered its worst performance of the calendar year, made the cut by one shot, also at 1 over.) Of the six players within five shots of the lead heading into the weekend, four of them are major-less (Ludvig Aberg, Cameron Young, Corey Conners and Sepp Straka), while the remaining two (Xander Schauffele and Justin Thomas) face the opportunity to rewrite an unusually quiet 12 months in their careers with a victory on Sunday.
“It’ll be tough for me this weekend,” said Thomas. “It’ll be exciting, though.”
Of course, for any of the four non-major winners, a victory at TPC Sawgrass would represent something much bigger: a moment of promise and fulfillment that arrives only very rarely to the patrons of the island green.
“Sawgrass is also a golf course where you have to execute golf shots, and I love the golf course because it’s right in front of you,” said Aberg, who leads the proceedings by two and utilizes TPC Sawgrass as his home facility during the offseason.
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Yes, there is a difference between loving a course and conquering a course, but Aberg looked like a man who was plenty capable of the latter on Friday. He fired an unfathomable, nine-under 63 on a golf course that was firming under his feet on Friday afternoon to move clear of the field by two shots.
“Is there an advantage [to playing here regularly]?” Maybe,” he said with a grin on Friday evening. “But you still have to hit the shots.”
Advantage or not, there’s little question that Aberg is the favorite. At 12 under, he’ll enter Saturday’s third round with a chance to reignite the whispers of a breakout season that carried throughout the golf world last summer.
Aberg is loath to address the kind of rampant speculation that fills a Friday evening with a two-shot lead at the biggest non-major of the golf season. But you can bet the ambitious new CEO of the PGA Tour, Brian Rolapp, stopped for long enough on Friday to envision the Swedish phenom holding the trophy.
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Rolapp has been coyly fanning the flames of major championship status for the Players from behind the scenes, and crowning victories are good for major championship hopes. Even if the Players is never a major championship, its “better than the rest” status certainly could do worse than to welcome the crowning achievement of an ascending star like Aberg, Young or Straka, or the return to glory for an established stud like Schauffele or Thomas.
In any case, the outcomes for this Players are shaping into a rare kind of gift for the champion and for Rolapp’s Tour. But much like Aberg’s long, hard stare on the 7th tee box on Friday afternoon, the answers to that journey will require just a little bit more waiting.
Former Pakistan cricketer and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ramiz Raja lamented that Pakistan star batter Salman Ali Agha paid the price for trying to do a “good deed” after he was controversially run out by Bangladesh captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz in the second ODI in Dhaka on Friday. Raja stated that Mehidy’s actions were against the spirit of the game, but not outside the rule book. He also said that there was no room for friendliness in cricket, and gave Bangladesh “10 out of 100” in a scathing criticism of Mehidy’s act.
For the uninitiated, Agha was out of his crease at the non-striker’s end after backing up after Mohammad Rizwan had nudged a delivery by Mehidy back towards the bowler. At this point, Agha and Mehidy got into a bit of a tussle for the ball, with the Pakistan batter even trying to pick it up and hand it back.
However, Agha was well outside his crease while doing so. Mehidy ended up picking up the ball first and was quick to dislodge the stumps, leaving Agha stranded.
“I come from a different school of thought. Today, the game is played differently; teams go for the jugular the moment they see an opportunity! This was outside the sportsman’s spirit,” Ramiz Raja said, speaking on the incident.
“He (Mehidy) was well within his rights to get that run out. Agha’s intention here was to do a good deed. You never do that to the opposition,” Raja added.
“Agha’s stern reaction was obvious. The intentions of both players were very different. One player was trying to run the other out while the second one was trying to be friendly. And there’s no room for friendliness in this contest,” he further said.
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“I would give Bangladesh a 10 out of 100 for this. They could have done a bit better,” Ramiz Raja concluded.
Despite the incident, Pakistan ended up clinching a convincing 128-run victory (via DLS method) to level the three-match ODI series at 1-1.
Supporters of “SF” or Sydney form might already be clued in, though Sibaaq at lengthy odds could fly under most radars.
Out to $11 in betting by Friday’s close, trainer Declan Maher reckons his emerging stable adjacent to the Gold Coast track – surname link to Ciaron Maher notwithstanding – results in his horses being disregarded versus entrenched Brisbane establishments.
Sibaaq was fifth across the line in Rosehill’s Group 3 Parramatta Cup (1900m) on February 21, returning now for the local Gold Coast Stakes (1800m) this Saturday.
“I think that is a general thing with a few of my runners these days as they usually get a bit of extra odds, but we are building the stable and fresh trainers to Queensland.
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“In a lot of his starts I think he has blown out in the market,” Maher said.
“He was out to $27 when he just missed out (on winning) by a stride in the Mayor’s Vase.”
An eight-year-old with a 108 Racing and Sports figure from Sydney, after 113 when edged out in the Gold Coast Mayor’s Vase (2050m) on January 23.
Matching that, $23 hope Victoria Road with 61kg has equivalent ratings this time in.
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Maher draws attention to robust Sydney form, exemplified by Parramatta Cup champ Piggyback fourth last Saturday in Listed Randwick City Stakes (2000m), while fellow placer Travolta grabbed third in Sunday’s Listed Canberra Cup (2000m).
“He went to my brother Ciaron’s farm in Bong Bong for a week after the Sydney run and his last six weeks have been relatively quiet for him,” Maher added.
“He has only needed a couple of bits of work back home and he likes to get down to the beach at The Spit which is more to keep a smile on his face.
Mating Call, the filly, may still be impacted by the elite competition she encountered last year, but she holds the capability to push past it toward an eventual Australasian Oaks opportunity.
Her joint trainers Dan Clarken and Oopy Macgillivray are more than satisfied with her evolution following stakes assignments in Melbourne, positioning her first run back in the M&J Chickens Handicap (1300m) at Morphettville Parks on Saturday as a favorable test, though lugging 60kg could prove somewhat demanding.
“She’s had a jump-out and two barrier trials because I wanted her fit and pretty well primed up to be very competitive first-up,” Clarken said.
“The weight is a little bit of a worry but she certainly is a talent so she probably deserves to get it.”
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In Melbourne without a win, Brazen Beau’s progeny still shone brightly, highlighted by a Racing and Sports rating surpassing 105 for third, half a length shy, in the Group 2 Edward Manifold Stakes (1600m), claimed by Getta Good Feeling who subsequently captured the Inglis Sprint (1200m).
She posted a 103 rating when fifth across the line in the Group 1 Thousand Guineas (1600m) to Ole Dancer, entering Saturday’s Group 1 Coolmore Classic (1500m) at Rosehill as a $7 prospect.
“Since being in Melbourne she has definitely grown up,” Clarken added.
“Her runs over there were terrific and she has matured into a better type of horse and is more tractable.
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“She trialled in earmuffs once and then trialled at Oakbank the other day without them and she was good so in that respect she has matured.
“Over the spring she was a bit timid around other horses.”
A precise plan is set for the filly: the Listed Clare Lindop Stakes (1600m) on March 28, the Group 3 Auraria Stakes (1800m) next, culminating in the $1 million Group 1 Australasian Oaks (2000m) at Morphettville on April 25.
Mating Call is quoted at $3.80 on Saturday against the $3.10 favourite Sir Myka from Travis Doudle.
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“From the soft draw (barrier two), she should be able to perch herself up there and I think there is reasonable speed in the race so she should be able to find herself a nice spot there,” Clarken said.
“It wouldn’t surprise me if she just goes straight past them.”
Visit betting sites for competitive sports betting on Mating Call’s upcoming assignment.
Former India cricketer Mohammad Kaif slammed Mehidy Hasan Miraz after a controversial run-out involving Salman Ali Agha during the second ODI between Bangladesh and Pakistan at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka on Friday.The unusual dismissal sparked a major debate on social media, with Bangladesh captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz facing criticism for what many termed an unsportsmanlike act. Former India batter Kaif was among those who strongly condemned the incident.
EXCLUSIVE: Rahul Dravid on iconic Eden Gardens win against Australia in 2001
Slamming the act, Kaif said: “This is so not done. No desperation of getting wickets can justify this run out. That too from a captain. Youngsters please remember, even if the World Cup final is on the line never do what the Bangladesh skipper did. Sports without fair play is no sports.”The incident took place in the 39th over of Pakistan’s innings when the visitors were rebuilding after losing three early wickets. Agha and Mohammad Rizwan had steadied the innings with a 109-run partnership for the fourth wicket.On the fourth ball of the over, bowled by Miraz, Rizwan gently pushed the delivery down the ground. The ball rolled towards Agha, who had backed up and was standing outside the crease at the non-striker’s end.As the ball struck his pads, Agha instinctively bent down, picked it up and attempted to hand it back. Miraz, however, quickly grabbed the ball and dislodged the bails with Agha still outside the crease before appealing for a run-out.The on-field umpire referred the decision to the third umpire after the appeal was made, and the replay confirmed the dismissal in Bangladesh’s favour.The decision left Agha visibly frustrated as he walked back to the pavilion, with television visuals showing the Pakistan batter expressing his displeasure after the call.The incident also triggered brief exchanges between players from both teams on the field. Rizwan was seen having a discussion with the Bangladesh players, while Litton Das defended the appeal made by Miraz.The rare run-out quickly became the biggest talking point of the match, dividing opinion among fans online. While many supported Agha and criticised the spirit of the dismissal, others argued that the Pakistan batter should have ensured he returned to his crease.Meanwhile, Pakistan were eventually bowled out for 274 in 47.3 overs, with Maaz Sadaqat top-scoring with 75. Having already lost the first ODI, Pakistan needed a victory in the second match to keep the series alive.
George Russell won a breathless sprint for Mercedes on Saturday at the Chinese Grand Prix, with the first 100km dash in the new era of Formula One witnessing a late safety car and multiple lead changes. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc was second and his teammate Lewis Hamilton, who won the sprint in Shanghai 12 months ago, crossed the line third to complete the podium. A safety car on lap 13 of the 19 saw the entire field dive into the pits for fresh tyres, with leader Russell emerging still in front. Kimi Antonelli in the second Mercedes had been third but served a 10-second penalty in the pit lane for causing an earlier collision which dropped him to seventh place and he eventually finished fifth.
World champion Lando Norris was fourth in his McLaren and his teammate Oscar Piastri sixth.
Liam Lawson in his RB and Oliver Bearman in the Haas were seventh and eighth respectively to round out the points scorers.
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The Ferrari of Hamilton earlier had a brilliant launch off the start line, moving from fourth to second and then swapping the lead with Russell twice on the opening lap.
Hamilton emerged in front early on the second lap as his teammate Leclerc put pressure on Russell.
Antonelli in the second Mercedes had a disastrous start, dropping from the front row alongside pole-siter Russell all the way down to seventh.
Russell and Hamilton were having a ding-dong battle at the front, trading places at the front multiple times in the opening five laps, with Leclerc hot on their heels in third.
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Russell eventually began to pull away in front leaving the Ferrari pair to squabble for second.
Hamilton’s tyres had taken a lot of punishment in the early skirmishes and Leclerc took advantage by passing his Ferrari teammate late on lap nine.
The McLaren pair of world champion Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri had settled into fourth and fifth but were a considerable distance behind the front three.
Antonelli began to claw his way back through the field after his poor start but received his 10-second time penalty for causing a collision on the opening lap.
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The 19-year-old Italian passed both McLarens and closed in on the Ferraris from fourth and by lap 11 he had overtaken Hamilton before the safety car two laps later and his penalty relegated him.
Four-time champion Max Verstappen had fumed on Friday that the “whole day has been a disaster” after coming eighth both in practice and in sprint qualifying.
His mood will not have been improved by a dreadful start as his engine revs dropped and found himself down in 13th at the halfway stage of the sprint.
He eventually placed ninth, out of the points.
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(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
DETROIT — Jalen Duren had 30 points and 13 rebounds and Cade Cunningham added 17 points and 15 assists as the Detroit Pistons beat Memphis 126-110 to hand the Grizzlies their seventh straight loss on Friday
The Eastern Conference-leading Pistons, who are in Toronto to face the Raptors on Sunday, have won their last three games by an average of 25.3 points after a season-worst four-game losing streak.
Marcus Sasser had 16 points for the Pistons, which had seven players in double figures.
Javon Small led the Grizzlies with 23 points while Ty Jerome had 21. Taj Gibson made his season debut for the Grizzlies after signing with them in late February. The 40-year-old played nearly 12 minutes with three points and three rebounds.
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Detroit led 98-84 at the end of three quarters, thanks to 26 points from Duren, and quickly moved the advantage to 22 before coach J.B. Bickerstaff emptied the bench.
TORONTO — Brandon Ingram scored 36 points, Canada’s RJ Barrett added 22 and Toronto rallied to beat Phoenix, snapping the Suns’ winning streak at four.
Jalen Green scored 34 points for Phoenix, matching his career high with eight 3-pointers, and Devin Booker added 31 points, but the Suns couldn’t hold on after leading by 10 in the fourth quarter.
Immanuel Quickley scored 17 points for Toronto. Scottie Barnes had 14 and Ja’Kobe Walter 12 as the Raptors won for the first time in three games.
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Grayson Allen scored 15 points for the Suns.
Toronto trailed 105-95 with 8:12 left in the final period but turned it around with a 13-2 spurt capped by Barrett’s 3-pointer with 3:35 remaining.
Royce O’Neal stopped the run by making a three with 2:36 left but the Suns didn’t score again until Booker made three free throws with 24 seconds remaining.
CAVALIERS 138, MAVERICKS 105
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DALLAS — Evan Mobley matched his season high with 29 points, Donovan Mitchell had 24 and Cleveland beat Dallas in the opener of a home-and-home series.
Mobley had 16 points in the first quarter and was already up to 23 by halftime, the second-highest scoring half of his career. He went 12 for 15 from the field and grabbed seven rebounds while playing just 23 minutes.
James Harden finished with 17 points, seven rebounds and seven assists for the Cavaliers, who shot 61.5% from the field and were 18 for 38 (47%) from 3-point range.
Cooper Flagg scored 25 points for the Mavericks, who were coming off a victory in Memphis that snapped an eight-game losing streak. Naji Marshall had 17 points.
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INDIANAPOLIS — Jalen Brunson finished with 29 points and nine assists, OG Anunoby added 25 points and eight rebounds, and New York beat Indiana.
Mitchell Robinson had a career-high 22 rebounds to go with 12 points as last year’s Eastern Conference runner-up won its second straight and its sixth game in nine contests. The Knicks are still fighting to earn a top-four seed and home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs.
Jarace Walker scored 18 points and grabbed nine rebounds to lead the Pacers. Aaron Nesmith had 12 points as injury-riddled Indiana lost its 12th straight. Ivica Zubac added 11 points and eight rebounds in his second game with Indiana since being acquired in a February trade.
ROCKETS 107, PELICANS 105
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HOUSTON — Kevin Durant hit a go-ahead 18-footer with 7.6 seconds left and Houston outlasted New Orleans to move into third place in the crowded Western Conference.
Durant scored 32 points two nights after matching his season low with 11 in a blowout loss at Denver. Against the Pelicans, he was 13 of 24 from the field and had six rebounds and five assists.
Amen Thompson added 23 points for Houston in the opener of five-game homestand. Reed Sheppard scored 18 points, and Jabari Smith Jr. had 16.
Dejounte Murray led New Orleans with 35 points, but stepped out of bounds with the Pelicans up a point with 13 seconds remaining. After Durant put the Rockets ahead, Zion Williamson threw the ball out of bounds, and Durant hit two free throws to put it away.
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola spoke for nearly five minutes as he defended his team selections following the Champions League defeat to Real Madrid.
Pep Guardiola launched a staunch defence of his Manchester City team selections during a passionate press conference ahead of the Premier League trip to West Ham on Saturday.
The Blues boss made several bold calls for the midweek Champions League last-16 first leg tie with Real Madrid, which City lost 3-0. He defended the XI after the game but went further on Friday in an answer that saw him mimic gunfire to articulate shots fired, bring up his decisions for the 2021 Champions League final defeat to Chelsea and sign off his monologue with ‘good answer’.
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Guardiola was asked if he welcomed the chance to explain his selection thinking on the back of the calls in Madrid, having often spoken about the team being viewed as the correct one if City win and the wrong one if the Blues lose.
What followed was the City boss in full flow as he spoke passionately for nearly five minutes about why he opted to field an attacking XI in midweek, the hypocritical nature of how line-ups are viewed and how he felt the selection was close to coming off against Real despite the end result. Here’s the answer in full.
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“I can explain to you,” he said. “I said to you after the game in Madrid that there is a logical reason for that, the momentum of the players and many things.
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“Listen, I played a final of the Champions League without Fernandinho and Rodri as holding midfielder against Chelsea, do you think that’s normal? No, honestly. Gundogan played in that moment, do you think that is normal? I was destroyed in that moment.
“They are right but in that moment I know how Rodri was playing and Fernandinho was playing, it was not the Rodri that we met after, and in the other positions there are a lot of times many decisions coming for many, many, many reasons, for how you handle the pressure and the other ones, I can explain that but they’re going to convince you for the next time? Forget about it. I want to stay to my players. To you, not one second.
“Now, my argument or reason is (to) justify the team selection. It’s because I lost, I lose the game, we lose the game. If you win, ah, genius. How many times I hear, ‘Pep is a genius’ for the team selection? Not waste my time.
“Convince you, why I put, I tell you that. Why I put that player, I want a threat, I want to have people arriving to the goal, I want people to make (grunts) when we arrive with the wingers. I see the game against Newcastle.
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“Against Newcastle, Savinho was the man of the match, and we need a game at the Bernabeu, not just to play, to make the Bernabeu feel that we are there. And we did it in the first 20 minutes. A lot of times. Jeremy arriving at time, pass back, four players in the box. I want that type of game.
“If I put another type of players, more control, we don’t have that threat. And I know, no, I want in the first game to try to do it. What would happen if from those chances when they didn’t arrive we scored one goal or two goals? And we were there, we’re close. One moment, a pass back to Bernardo, Bernardo alone with no keeper, he didn’t make a contact. Bernardo, one of the most gifted players that we have, in the six-yard box. Bernardo here, scored at the Etihad at the stadium, the year we won 4-3 from the edge of the 18-yard box, and put the ball into the corner. What (would have) happened in that game with 0-1 there? We don’t know.
“And after the emotion is involved, like Ruben and Bernardo said. It happens, it’s football. But my players are extraordinary, and they were extraordinary in many things. You can say whatever you want. I will convince you now when the selection tomorrow, if I want to rotate the team? If we win, it will be perfect, Pep.
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“What happened in Newcastle? Did you read the comments before the game, (about) my team selection, in the social media? Did you read it? Yeah, you read it. ‘What they’re doing, Pep, in the FA Cup, how lack of respect for that competition’.
“How can people say that when we arrive how many times in finals, semi-finals of the FA Cup in the last four or five years? No team. No team in England the last 10, 15, 20 years have been more times in the semi-finals. What a lack of respect. ‘How is Rodri not playing, how is Bernardo not playing, how you don’t play this player, how you don’t play the other one, how do you leave Erling at home?’. 1-3.
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“You see the performance of Newcastle against Barcelona, right? You see? It’s difficult. Easy place to go. Easy place. But I’m there to convince you? No, you judge. And after that, oh, Pep, how brilliant you have been against Newcastle.
“It’s the same in Madrid. There is a reason why. The forms and see the players and see that play with that player and play that position. So Bernardo…. I know Bernardo played better in the build-up in a low block with Rodri than being in the final third. I know that.
“Bernardo, with his composure, in Bernabeu, with Marc (Guehi) it’s the first game, Antoine is the first game and many things I need Bernardo there. I need that because he played a thousand million times there because I know how he is in the bad moments, how he behaves.
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“But I had to explain it before and after? After 10 years? I would not convince you one second, any one of you, anyone. Why? Because we lost and that’s all and it’s right, 3-0, destroyed, yeah, it’s normal. It’s not personal, believe me, it’s all the managers. All the managers, all the managers.
“It’s not the first time I played in that competition, the Champions League, 17 years playing in that competition, and every time I lose, boom, my God. Pew, pew, pew (mimics shots fired) A lot. Is it new? No, it’s okay.
“The storm passed in one day, now West Ham, go to the second and prepare for Tuesday. And if Tuesday we will be out, we’ll be ohhhh. I have a lot of fans in the media, don’t worry. Supporters, a lot of fans, I have a lot, so it will happen. It’s okay, it’s fine. I have to do my job and my best, honestly. Knowing that if we win, it’s good, and if we lose, it’s bad. Okay? Good answer.”
