Pep Guardiola had Manchester City players back in training HOURS after sealing Premier League title
Pep Guardiola had his Premier League champions back in training just hours after celebrating clinching another title.
Manchester City‘s squad and first-team staff made their way to the City Football Academy on Tuesday night to toast a third crown in four years.
Players shared red wine and bottles of Estrella in a small party soundtracked by dance music from the likes of British DJ Weiss.
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola had his side back in training hours after winning the title
Guardiola resisted the temptation to offer a day off, instead sticking to his week’s schedule ahead of a potentially history-making few weeks for the club.
The Catalan’s squad reported for duty early on Wednesday morning as they underwent a planned session in preparation for Friday’s game at Newcastle United.
With Manchester United’s defeat by Leicester City confirming Guardiola’s third title as manager, attention now turns to the Champions League final against Chelsea on May 29.
Guardiola has the task of retaining match sharpness within his players, while also not over-exerting them in the final three matches of the league campaign.
Guardiola resisted temptation to give his charges a day off after winning the Premier League
His squad celebrated with red wine and bottles of Estrella but were then quickly back to work
City’s next two opponents, Newcastle and Brighton, are expected to offer a guard of honour, before the winners can lift the trophy in front of 10,000 supporters after the final game of the season against Everton.
Captain Fernandinho and the outgoing Sergio Aguero will raise the silverware together at the Etihad Stadium.
City’s priority in the summer is to replace the goals of Aguero, and Guardiola will be backed in the transfer market.
‘Big trophies, you only win with big teams,’ midfielder Rodri said. ‘Of course we are team-mates but we are more than that, we are friends. We almost live the same life as a second family.
City beat PSG in the Champions League semi-final but will play Chelsea in the final on May 29
‘It’s a dream. The mental strength of the team gave us the Premier League. It’s a celebration of this success of the hard work. Everyone has taken part and responsibility of this.’
City also became the first club to lift a clean sweep of top divisions in a single season as the Under-18s, coached by Carlos Vicens, finished top of the Premier League North with a slender win at Burnley after Enzo Maresca’s Under-23s won their title.
Meanwhile, UEFA confirmed that Guardiola’s old foe, Antonio Miguel Mateu Lahoz, will referee the Champions League final.
Lahoz sent Guardiola to the stands in a quarter-final defeat by Liverpool in 2018, with the City boss sarcastically labelling him ‘a special guy’ in the aftermath.
