Pep Guardiola: Winning Champions League with Man City wouldn’t compare to Julia Roberts Man Utd snub

Pep Guardiola bizarrely claimed that Manchester City winning the Champions League would not compare to his disappointment of Julian Roberts snubbing the team in 2016.

The Hollywood superstar visited Old Trafford in 2016 to watch a game against West Ham United, a few months into Pep Guardiola’s tenure across the city at the Etihad - while she also attended a Manchester United match during the club’s pre-season tour of America in 2017. And speaking after an Erling Haaland-inspired City beat RB Leipzig 7-0 on Wednesday to progress to the quarter-finals of the Champions League, Guardiola oddly decided to revealed his disappointment at not meeting the actress.

“I am a failure in the Champions League,” he replied to a question about making it to the last eight of the competition for a sixth consecutive year. “I am going to explain a secret - whatever happens in the Champions League, even if we win this Champions, even if we win three in a row, I will be a failure.

“I am going to tell you something, I have three idols in my life: Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, and Julia Roberts. OK? These are my three idols. For obvious reasons, Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods, and Julia Roberts as well.

“So, Julia Roberts years ago came to Manchester, not in the ‘90s when Sir Alex Ferguson was winning titles and titles and titles, she came in the period where we were better than United, in these four or five years. And she went to visit Man United. She didn’t come to see us.

“That’s why this is - even if I win the Champions League, it will not compare to the fact that Julia Roberts came to Manchester and didn’t come to see us.”

Guardiola was also asked for his thoughts on Haaland, who moved onto 39 goals for the season thanks to his five against Leipzig, and set a new club-record high for goals in a single season, which was previously held by Tommy Johnson in 1928/29.

“Today he scored five goals and I think he had 30/35 ball contacts,” said the City boss. “This is what we are looking for. I had the feeling that when you are involved in the game offensively, when the ball comes to score a goal you are more clever, more precise.

“It’s difficult to score a goal - he can do it - but it’s difficult to score a goal if after 15 minutes you don’t touch the ball. Sometimes it’s his fault because he doesn’t move, like against Crystal Palace I told him he didn’t play good. But others it’s our fault like in Leipzig when we could not find him in the second half.”