Following Man City's elimination from the Champions League by Real Madrid for the third consecutive year, coach Pep Guardiola has dismissed suggestions of his departure, asserting his commitment to the club for the upcoming season. The English club suffered a 1-2 defeat at the Etihad Stadium in the second leg, resulting in a 1-5 aggregate loss.

When questioned about his future plans, Guardiola emphasized the team's prospects rather than his personal situation. "Oh, everyone wants me fired, right?! My goodness!", Guardiola said after the Man City defeat. "One day I will come here and say goodbye, but for now, I still have one year left on my contract. The future is bright, and we will be back next season".

Coach Pep Guardiola reacts on the sideline during Man City's 1-2 loss to Real Madrid in the Champions League round of 16 second leg at the Etihad Stadium, Manchester on 17/3. Photo: AP

On 17/3 at the Etihad Stadium, Man City started strongly, creating several scoring opportunities. However, the game shifted dramatically after Bernardo Silva received a red card in the 20th minute for handling Vinicius' shot on the goal line. Real Madrid was awarded a penalty, which Vinicius converted to open the scoring.

Erling Haaland equalized just before halftime, reigniting hope for Man City. In the second half, the home side had the ball in the net twice more, but both goals were disallowed for offside. In injury time, Vinicius completed his brace, securing Real Madrid's 1-5 aggregate victory and eliminating Man City.

Guardiola defended Silva's actions, stating that the red card incident was a natural reaction rather than a mistake. "That could have been avoided, but I will never blame my player", he said. "My only regret is that we didn't get to play 11 against 11 as we started. But that's football. Real Madrid is an excellent team; they always punish opponents' mistakes".

The Spanish coach also expressed regret over the difficult position his team faced. "Being down 3-0 then 4-0 with only 10 players is almost irreversible. But the players always showed a fighting spirit", he remarked. The 55-year-old coach believes this defeat will help the team mature, especially for players like Abdukodir Khusanov, Rayan Cherki, and Antoine Semenyo, who were experiencing the Champions League for the first time. "We will learn. Football is a challenge", he continued. "I see many positive signs. What we showed in the first 15-20 minutes demonstrated the team's identity. If it had been 11 against 11, no one knows what would have happened. We will keep trying and return".

Erling Haaland was substituted for Omar Marmoush in the 57th minute, a tactical decision by Guardiola as Man City needed to score three more goals. Guardiola confirmed that the Norwegian striker remains fully fit for the upcoming League Cup final against Arsenal on 22/3.