Manchester City’s owners will not have been upset with their Champions League exit, as they’re more than happy dominating English football.
That’s according to former star Pablo Zabaleta, who believes those in charge at the Etihad will continue believing Europe’s top prize will come sooner rather than later.
This season will once again end without Manchester City securing the Champions League title after being knocked out by Real Madrid in the semi-finals.
They had looked to be on course for a second straight appearance in the final after securing a 4-3 win at the Etihad in the first meeting between the two sides.
They then bolstered their chances in a tight second leg, when Riyad Mahrez put them 1-0 up at the Bernabeu with just 17 minutes left to play.
However, two goals from Rodrygo in the 90th and 91st minutes levelled the tie before a Karim Benzema penalty in the 95th minute sealed the turnaround for the Spanish giants and knocked Manchester City out.
The defeat was the latest in a growing list of high profile exits in recent years, which some believe will have piled the pressure on Pep Guardiola. Zabaleta, though, does not agree with that assessment.
“I think that last weekend, at the City of Manchester Stadium against Newcastle, you could see the reaction of the fans,” Infobae report him saying.
“The team had just lost at the Bernabeu, and the fans were completely behind the team and the manager.
“I think the people at Manchester City are happy to see the team dominating English soccer, and there wasn’t even any criticism from the owners of the squad for the Champions League elimination.
“I think they will continue to bet on winning it in the future with big signings. We all trust in the planning, in growing with the project with confidence and continuity. If the fans look back, twelve years ago, a moment like this would have been unthinkable.”
