Patrice Evra was involved in a heated confrontation with a member of Manchester City’s backroom team after last night’s Champions League semi-final against Real Madrid. The Premier League champions booked their place in next month’s European showpiece occasion with an utterly dominant display, cantering to a 4-0 victory on the night. City’s understandable joyous reaction to making the final appeared to irk Evra, decked out in a proactive red suit, who became embroiled in a touchline spat with Pep Guardiola’s assistant Manel Estiarte. Explaining the bust-up, the Manchester United legend told CBS Sports: ‘He was looking at me saying ‘this is for you, this is for you’. I came close and said why are you shouting, why are you so agitated? He said it was because last year I said on TV they **** themselves and that’s why they lost against Madrid. And I said this year they didn’t **** themselves and that’s the truth. I’m an honest man and I’m straight and afterwards he apologised.’
City will face Inter Milan in Istanbul in just under a month’s time hoping to complete the final leg of what would be a record equaling treble but Evra had a word of warning for those players looking to match the achievements of United’s class of 1999. He added: ‘It’s one game left so don’t celebrate yet so calm down and relax.’ City will now hope to lift the trophy and make amends for their loss in the 2021 final as part of what could be a glorious clean sweep of the top honours. The first of those trophies could come on Sunday if they beat Chelsea to clinch the Premier League with the FA Cup final against Manchester United on June 3.
City manager Guardiola said: ‘In the Premier League we are close, we know we need one more game. We play against our neighbours and against an Italian team in the finals. The season is really, really good. Now we have to lift it. We are close and of course we are going to try.’ Last week’s semi-final first leg against Madrid in the Bernabeu Stadium had been an even contest. City dominated possession for large spells but Real were more incisive on the counter-attack. This time City refused to allow their opponents to sit back and feel comfortable soaking up pressure. They were far more dynamic and the Spanish giants could not handle their speed and movement. The resounding win made for sweet revenge for City’s heartbreaking loss to Real and the same stage last season. Guardiola said: ‘It was really tough losing the way we lost. In that moment we had to swallow poison but football and sport always gives you another chance. When the draw was Madrid, I said, ‘yeah I want it’.’