Guardiola Proud Despite Bayern’s Heavy Defeat in Emotional Camp Nou Return
Pep Guardiola’s return to Camp Nou as Bayern Munich coach ended in a harsh 3-0 defeat at the hands of his former club. Despite the scoreline, the Spanish tactician was quick to praise his players and refused to cast blame on the team.
“I’m really proud of my team, of my players. I have no complaints about them,” Guardiola said in his post-match comments.
“We aimed to control possession and play our game. We were good in the first half and played well. But after conceding the first goal, we lost motivation,” he added. “The third goal was really a shame. At 2-0, there’s still a chance to turn the result around, but 3-0 makes it much more difficult.”
Acknowledging Barcelona’s quality, Guardiola hailed them as a formidable side both in attack and defense.
“We must congratulate Barça. They’re very solid at both ends of the pitch. I won’t even comment on Lionel Messi—he’s exceptional. The best way to control them is by keeping the ball, which is what we tried to do,” Guardiola explained. “That third goal was definitely avoidable.”
Though Bayern face an uphill battle to overturn the deficit in the second leg, Guardiola’s measured response underscores his belief in his squad and determination to fight on.
