Guardiola tells City’s players to seduce their fans in Europe

Posted Tuesday, October 01, 2019 by PA

Pep Guardiola hopes his Manchester City side can seduce the fans with their performances in the Champions League this season.

The Premier League champions are among the favourites to win Europe’s top club competition this season – as they compete in it for a ninth successive year – but their fans are still to be truly won over.

Guardiola has previously commented on the lack of atmosphere at European games in comparison to Premier League fixtures.

This has been alien to Guardiola given his background as a player and manager at Barcelona and also after working at Bayern Munich.

Yet City, who have leapt out of the pack to the top of the English game in the past decade, have no great tradition in the Champions League. Their supporters also regularly boo the competition anthem in a long-running protest against organisers UEFA.

Speaking at a press conference to preview Tuesday’s Group C clash with Dinamo Zagreb, Guardiola said: “The fans must know it – without them and the nice environment at home it is impossible. We cannot do it alone, it is impossible.

“We are going to try in our football to seduce the fans and say ‘OK we can do it’. We have to seduce them so they realise how it’s important, and the only way to seduce them is by winning games and playing good.

“I know for the fans it’s the Premier League that’s most exciting. We know that as a club, we’ve done polls, and the people prefer by far to win the Premier League than the Champions League. I know how special it is. But this competition is nice too and our fans, they have to live it as a dream.”

Dinamo Zagreb coach Nenad Bjelica has called on his players to give it their all as they chase a shock win.

Dinamo have made a fine start to the competition, claiming an unexpectedly convincing 4-0 win over Serie A side Atalanta a fortnight ago, and now they hope to spring a bigger surprise.

Speaking at a press conference, former Croatia international Bjelica said: “I don’t doubt they will be prepared for everything we throw at them. They are one of the best clubs in the world and it is going to be very difficult to surprise them.

“But tactics are one thing. Other things are more important – a lot of aggression, a lot of running and courage.

“We have to play with a big heart but we can achieve a big result against an opponent like this. We want to give everything to get a successful result.

“We want to achieve the maximum – that is three points, regardless of any situation, no matter what the stadium.

“I know it is very difficult and very few clubs manage to do that at Manchester City but we will have our chances. Many things have to click to get the result but we will try our best.”