‘I think it would be fair to say that they were a bit lucky’
Manchester City chief executive Ferran Soriano claims Real Madrid were “lucky” to win the Champions League last season, despite Los Blancos defeating Pep Guardiola’s side in the semi-final.
Soriano, who also insisted that City were not “obsessed” with winning Europe’s most prestigious trophy, believes that the LaLiga outfit were fortune to lift the crown as they ‘deserved’ to lose against a number of teams in the build-up to the final.
Speaking on the Dr. Football podcast, the Spaniard said: “The Champions League is a trophy that we want, but we know that it is subject to a bit of luck and we are not obsessed.
“People talk today about the success that Madrid have had in recent years, and I think it would be fair to say that they were a bit lucky. Perhaps I could say that they deserved to lose against PSG, against Chelsea, against us or against Liverpool.”
🗣️ Ferran Soriano,CEO of Man City:
"People now talk about the success of Real Madrid in the Champions League and I think it's fair to say that there has been a bit of luck. Maybe I could say that they deserved to lose against PSG, Chelsea, Manchester City and Liverpool,"⚪ #RMFC
— Football Transfers (@Transferzone00) June 26, 2022
Soriano admits Madrid have been unlucky in the past
However, the 55-year-old did admit that Madrid were unlucky on the European stage in the 1980s, adding: “People don’t remember that in the 80s and 90s [Real] had a fantastic team, one of the best in history, with [Emilio] Butragueno and La Quinta, and they could not win it.
“Milan eliminated them every year. So they were somewhat lucky now, but they were also very unlucky for years.”
City’s Champions League trophy hunt
Guardiola’s men reached a final and semi-final in the last two seasons, but are yet to win the prestigious trophy. City were heading for the final last season before they suffered a staggering late collapse against Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Los Blancos trailed their knockout matches with Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea and City during their run through the Champions League last campaign. However, Carlo Ancelotti’s side managed to progress to the final with a number of memorable comebacks, before overcoming Liverpool 1-0 in the final at Stade de France in May.
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