Manchester City Manager Pep Guardiola continued his tetchy relationship with the media in the Spanish capital following his draw with Real Madrid on Tuesday night. There was a lot of talk about the roof at the Santiago Bernabeu being closed to keep the noise down, but Guardiola felt there were other improvements Real Madrid president Florentino Perez could make.
Before the game, Guardiola was asked if his players were to try to provoke Vinicius Junior into a yellow card that would mean his suspension for the return leg, a suggestion that was not too impressed.
After the game, Guardiola was again asked about the roof, but he suggested that the field was not up to standard.
“I like to see the sky, honestly. But it is true that it is impressive. Now they only have to take care of the grass, they only have to improve that. Florentino will only have to worry about having a good field later, like Madrid had always had, like a carpet”.
What do you think of the ceiling?
“Honestly I like to see the sky. But without a doubt it is impressive. Now they only have to take care of the grass, it is the only one to improve.”
“The only thing Florentino has to worry about is having a good camp later.”pic.twitter.com/z6rD7I7ixk
— Football Spain (@footballespana_) April 10, 2024
Meanwhile Rodri Hernandez also said AS Diary that he felt that the field was in bad condition, saying that it hurt Manchester City a little, but he noted that it was not an excuse. Meanwhile, Relevo reports that the Real Madrid team was also frustrated by the quality of the pitch. It is a problem that has been chronic at the Bernabeu, which has not been helped by the dust and dirt created by the renovation works around the stadium.
Of course, during his time as Barcelona manager, it became a standard suspect while Jose Mourinho was in charge of Los Blancos that Real Madrid let the grass grow longer and gave it less water, making the ball slower. This was a regular source of irritation for both of them Guardiola and Xavi Hernandez, with the former clearly feeling that the grass was not up to standard again on Tuesday.
