SIBUSISO MDLALOSE
UMQEQESHI weManchester City, uPep Guardiola, uthi ukunqoba isicoco se-Uefa Champions League, kuzoshaya isigxivizo sokugcina sokuba "yiqembu elikhulu" phakathi kwamaqembu ase-Europe.
UGuardiola osengumakadebona ekunqobeni izicoco namaqembu amakhulu ase-Europe, usethubeni lokuqopha umlando ngokunqobela iManchester City, isicoco seChampions League okokuqala ngqa, emlandweni weqembu elingagayelwa mphako kule sizini.
IMan City itholana phezulu ne-Inter Milan kowamanqamu weChampions League, namuhla ngo-9 ebusuku, e-Antaturk Olympic Stadium, Instabul, eTurkey.
ICity inezicoco ezimbili emgodleni, okuyi-English Premier League neFA Cup, sekubhekwe ngabomvu ukuthi izokwazi yini ukwengeza ngesesithathu seChampions League ukusonga isizini ka-2022/23 ebe yimpumelelo.
"Amaqembu amaningi abe ngamaqembu amakhulu e-Europe ngokunqoba iChampions League. Kumele sikwamukele ukuthi uma sifuna ukuthatha igxathu elikhulu ekubeni yiqembu elikhulu, kumele sinqobe e-Europe. Kumele siwine iChampions League, leyo yinto esingeke siyibalekele.
“”Kodwa okubaluleke kakhulu wukuthi sihlale sikhona kwiChampions League, zikhathi zonke. Eminyakeni emibili edlule sasikhona, emuva kweminyaka emibili sikhona futhi," kusho uGuardiola ecashunwa yi-Uefa.com.
Lo mqeqeshi odabuka eSpain, uqhube wathi yize i-Inter Milan ithwele umlando njengoba iyogijima kulo mdlalo wamanqamu, kodwa lowo mlando ngeke usho lutho uma sekungenwa enkundleni.
I-Inter isayinqobe amahlandla amathathu iChampions League emlandweni, kanti yagcina ukuyinqoba ngesizini ka-2009/10.
IMan City ifinyelele okokuqala kowamanqamu eChampions League ngesizini ka-2020/21 yaguqiswa yiChelsea ngo 1-0.
Ngakolunye uhlangothi, umqeqeshi we-Inter, uSimone Inzaghi, naye uyakuqonda ukubaluleka kwalo mdlalo wamanqamu.
"Lona ngumdlalo obaluleke kakhulu kodwa ubaluleke kakhulu nakubadlali bami oDzeko (Edin) no-Onana (Andre) asebeke badlala kweyandulela eyamanqamu alo mqhudelwano.
“Ukufinyelela kwethu kulesi sigaba somqhudelwano, kusho lukhulu kithina ngemuva kwesizini ende, enzima," kusho u-Inzaghi.
Abadlali okubhekeke ukuba benze izinto zenzeke kwiThe Citizens, kubalwa uKevin De Bruyne, uBernardo Silva nenkalimeva yomgadli ongalibheki ipali u-Erling Haaland.
Kanti kwi-Inter kubhekwe insephe u-Edin Dzeko, nengadlangadla yomgadli osebuyelwa yifomu, uRomelu Lukaku.