Pep Guardiola DESTROYS Romelu Lukaku over Champions League final miss

Tom Hancock

• 20 Jun 2023 17:11 BST
• 3 min read

Pep Guardiola says that Manchester City have Romelu Lukaku’s ‘failure’ to thank for his side’s Champions League final victory over Inter Milan.

Man City completed an historic treble as Rodri’s goal saw off Inter in Istanbul earlier this month – but things might have panned out differently had Lukaku not spurned a golden chance to equalise late on.

The Belgian striker – who spent the 2022/23 season back on loan at Inter from Chelsea – directed a free header straight at Ederson from barely six yards out.

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Guardiola was discussing Barcelona’s La Liga title-winning campaign in an interview with MARCA when he touched on City’s European success. He remarked:

“They [Barcelona] have won the league and the club knows what they have to do. Xavi and [director of football] Mateu Alemany know much better than me what they have to do. I don’t know: I am European champion because a player [Lukaku] failed three metres from the goalie.”

It’s a typically deadpan response from Guardiola – City would have been firm favourites had the final gone to extra time – but his assessment is fundamentally true.

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Where does Lukaku's future lie?

As for Lukaku, had he buried what was, really, a sitter, Inter may well still have lost – but he might not have been left with the same “sh*tty feeling” he admitted to experiencing due to the result.

The 30-year-old is said to be keen to stay with Inter, though, amid talk of a possible switch to the Saudi Pro League.

Lukaku certainly doesn’t seem to have a future at Chelsea, with the Blues today announcing the signing of Christopher Nkunku – who will join as a free agent following the expiry of his RB Leipzig contract at the end of this month.