PEP GUARDIOLA screamed ‘I told you’ at Rio Ferdinand following Manchester City’s thumping of Real Madrid.
City romped to their second Champions League final on Wednesday night with a 4-0 win over the Spaniards in the second leg of their semi-final tie – which they won 5-1 on aggregate.
Manchester City romped to the Champions League final with a thumping win over Real MadridREX
AFPPep Guardiola shouted ‘I told you so’ to Rio Ferdinand after the final whistle[/caption]
Ferdinand revealed Guardiola sought him out after the match because of a pre-match text messageREX
A jubilant Guardiola – who hasn’t lifted Europe’s top club trophy in over a decade – pointed at BT Sport pundit Ferdinand as he strode off the Etihad pitch and said: “I told you.”
And former Manchester United defender Ferdinand was quick to reveal the City chief was referring to a pre-match text message he sent him earlier that day.
He said: “Pep Guardiola texted me before the game, I said ‘good luck’.
“And he texted me, ‘Believe me, we beat them two years ago, we will beat them again. Believe’. “I said, ‘I believe you!’”
Ferdinand was blown away by the belief Guardiola had in his players ahead of their crunch clash with the reigning European champions.
The 44-year-old said: “The conviction that he had, the confidence that he had.
“That was about three hours before the game.
“He’s sending me a text like that.
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“That is pure confidence in the detail probably leading up to this game and the confidence he has in them players.”
City will face Italian giants Inter Milan in the final in Istanbul on June 10 – in which they could seal a historic treble.
But Guardiola isn’t getting ahead of himself, saying: “We are closer – and players will think of it.
“But we have to try and close the league against Chelsea [on Sunday at home] to give more time to prepare for the finals.
“A final against an Italian team, people will say we are favourites and that is the worst that can happen.”