Euro ban: No extra motivation for Guardiola

MADRID—Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola isn’t using the team’s European ban as extra motivation for his players to win the Champions League this season.

In fact, Guardiola doesn’t want his players entering Wednesday’s first leg against Madrid thinking this will be their last chance of winning the European title.

“No way. These players will have a lot of chances to win the Champions League,” the Spanish coach said Tuesday ahead of the round-of-16 game. “There is no special motivation, even if it’s the last one. It doesn’t have to be extra motivation. The desire to win has to be there. Without that it’s impossible. But more than that, it’s another game. That’s all.”

UEFA recently handed Man City a ban from European competitions for the next two seasons after a panel found that it had seriously breached financial regulations and failed to co-operate with investigators. The club is expected to file an appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport, but if the punishment stands, City won’t be back in Europe until the 2022-23 season.

Madrid captain Sergio Ramos said earlier Tuesday that he expects the punishment to give the English team a greater sense of urgency ahead of the match at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium.

“When you see that this could be your last Champions League in the next few years, maybe that gives you extra motivation,” Ramos said.

Guardiola again said he has “trust” in Man City’s directors and that he was shown enough evidence to make him believe the club is innocent.