TUESDAY, MAY 23, 2017 SPORTS Guardiola warns Manchester City ‘decades behind’ Europe’s elite WATFORD: Pep Guardiola insisted that end of the season it is complicated, there is Manchester City are “decades” behind always pressure, there is no second chance,” Europe’s largest clubs despite the 5-0 win said Guardiola. “But we showed many good away to injury-hit Watford that clinched things and we are so happy,” added the Champions League qualification. The City manager whose initial campaign in manager was delighted with the result on England ended without a trophy. the final day of the Premier League season Guardiola said his first season in the for one of the richest clubs in world foot- Premier League, “was what I expected”. “Big, ball, but former Barcelona and Bayern big teams, we knew it wouldn’t be easy. Munich head coach Guardiola said that Knowing Chelsea play one game a week, wealth did not count as much as experi- how strong they are. Tottenham were sec- ence and status. ond and one of the best teams of the world “When Real Madrid and Barcelona want playing football. The gap is like this, we one player other teams cannot compete,” were not good enough but we want to play said the Spaniard. “It’s not just money. It’s better next season to reduce that gap and Real and Barca. (Money) is not enough. To fight to the end. compete against them we need time, “In terms of how many times Man City decades. “For years this club (City) was not have been in Europe, we cannot compare playing in Europe, and now we’ve been against Liverpool, Manchester United, there seven years. But to achieve the next Arsenal or Chelsea. “Every year qualifying step, the gap is shorter but it’s more diffi- for the Champions League will be tougher cult-to compete head to head against the and tougher, and we are there. “We are sat- big clubs in Europe, Real Madrid, Barcelona, isfied because we are in the Champions Bayern Munich, Juventus. League. Tomorrow we will think about “Atletico Madrid made that step but what to do next season and the pressure even they could not win the Champions will be the same, to try to win. And if it’s not League even though they deserved to.” possible to improve, to try to find out why Guardiola revealed that Sergio Aguero, and make changes.” who scored twice against Watford and Watford manager Walter Mazzarri left could have had more, will remain at the the club after six successive defeats, their Etihad Stadium next season, along with worst run for 44 years, but he cited injures captain Vincent Kompany, who opened the as the reason. “While we had a complete BARCELONA: Barcelona’s Argentinian forward Lionel Messi gestures after missing a goal opportunity during the Spanish league football match scoring with a free header from a corner. squad we were fighting for seventh place, FC Barcelona vs SD Eibar at the Camp Nou stadium.— AFP Despite his misgivings about City’s chances reached 40 points and were 10th. But today against the top clubs in Europe next sea- we had absolutely no defenders, I would son, the manager was relieved to have like to see which team could do better,” he secured third place in the Premier League said. “I gave everything and with such a dif- Barcelona: The Spanish and so avoided a qualifying round. ficult situation a less experienced manager would have done worse. We were safe with ‘NO SECOND CHANCE’ six games left. It’s another objective in my “It was in our hands, not depending on career. “I’m experienced enough to know anything, and Watford had trouble in you cannot have 20,000 people on your league that got away defense, a lot of injuries, but always when side. I know the majority understood what you play for something on the last week- was going on.” —AFP BARCELONA: For Barcelona, this season’s match to his archive by upstaging Cristiano defense exposed to too many counterattacks Spanish league title will go down as the one Ronaldo in a thrilling 3-2 victory at Madrid in while Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar waited that got away. A league-high 116 goals scored, April, when he scored a brilliant equalizer to too long to get the ball. Man United’s season hinges on four fewer goals conceded than champion Real make it 1-1 before snatching the victory with a Madrid, and the competitions’ top two scorers stoppage-time goal to stun the crowd at the MISSED OPPORTUNITY winning Europa League final in Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez should have Santiago Bernabeu Stadium. If there is one date when Barcelona had the been enough to win the title for the third perfect chance to catch Madrid and take con- MANCHESTER: Losing the Europa League a rapid hoarder of trophies throughout his straight year. But the statistics didn’t mean SLOW START trol of the title race it was April 8. Madrid stum- final is a prospect that doesn’t bear think- coaching career. Two cups and Champions much in the end because those great numbers Barcelona only won three of its first seven bled at home against cross town rival Atletico ing about at Manchester United. Not for League qualification would amount to a and Messi’s continued excellence couldn’t com- home matches, digging itself a hole that it Madrid, which earned a 1-1 draw on a late goal the players, who would face another sea- successful first season at United. One tro- pensate for costly losses to underdog sides and could never recover from. But of its four losses by Antoine Griezmann. That opened the door son out of the prestigious Champions phy and no Champions League would be a the subpar contribution of Barcelona’s role this season, the one it will rue the most was a for Barcelona to move in front if it could win at League the bonus prize for winning huge let-down. players. The Catalan club rallied from two goals perplexing 2-1 defeat to promoted Alaves back Malaga hours later. Instead, Barcelona self- Europe’s second-tier competition - not to “It makes sense to say it,” Mourinho said, down to beat Eibar 4-2 on Sunday at Camp in September at the Camp Nou. That stumble destructed, falling 2-0 after Neymar was sent mention the pain of defeat in a high-profile when this point of view was put to him, Nou, but Madrid won 2-0 at Malaga to finish proved to be the only home loss of the season, off for two senseless yellow cards. title match. “but I don’t feel like that. I don’t want the three points ahead. Here’s a look at Messi’s sea- and those three points ended up making the Not for the club’s owners, who would be players to feel like that. I don’t think the son and how his team let him down: difference. TIRED COACH hit with a big reduction in sponsorship board feels like that.” That’s because, in IRREPLACEABLE INIESTA A coach who says he is tired of managing is money and, potentially, prize money from Mourinho’s opinion, United has made ALL FOR NAUGHT Barcelona coach Luis Enrique had the plan not the ideal candidate to rally the troops. Luis European competition next season. And progress this season, recovering some of its Messi did his part, and then some. At 29 to not overwork Andres Iniesta, who was enter- Enrique even admitted he was burned out not for its famous manager, whose first aura of old, only for a mixture of injuries years old, Messi had another superb individual ing his 15th season at the age of 32. So last off- midway through the season. The former year at United would be widely viewed as a and a grueling schedule to set the team season worthy of the player widely considered season, the club brought in reinforcements Barcelona midfielder will leave the club fol- failure. “This game,” United striker Marcus back. The last two months have been hard to be the best in the world. The club’s all-time Andre Gomes and Denis Suarez to help Sergi lowing three seasons that can only be judged Rashford said, “is our season.” So much going, with a game every three or four days top scorer broke the 50-goal barrier for the Busquets, Ivan Rakitic, Rafinha and Arda Turan as very successful despite his team’s dip in hinges on the match against Ajax in as a consequence of United going deep in fifth time in his career, scoring a league-high give Iniesta time off. Those extra options let form during his last year. Under Luis Enrique, Stockholm on Wednesday that United’s every competition it entered. 37 goals to go with 16 in other competitions. Iniesta play only the important games, and Barcelona has won the Champions League, the players and their manager, Jose Mourinho, The game against Ajax will be United’s Beyond the goals, he was the team’s best play- start in just 13 of 38 matches. But the plan Club World Cup, two Spanish leagues and a have to be feeling the pressure heading to 64th of the season. Mourinho has cut a maker, showing his unequaled sense of know- backfired when his substitutes failed to come pair of Copa del Rey titles. It will have a chance the Swedish capital.