Noel Gallagher Shares Insights on Pep Guardiola’s Greatest Season and the Man City v Inter Milan Champions League Final
Noel Gallagher, along with Pep Guardiola, has witnessed numerous trophy triumphs for Manchester City in recent seasons. However, their paths won’t intersect in Istanbul this Saturday for the Champions League final.
For live coverage of the final, tune in to BBC Radio 5 Live and visit the Sport News Center website on Saturday, with the kick-off scheduled for 20:00 BST.
Even if Manchester City secures victory in the Champions League final and completes the Treble, Pep Guardiola won’t be entirely satisfied—and according to Gallagher, it’s Gallagher’s own fault.
Gallagher revealed to Sport News Center, “Pep always tries to convince me to bring a guitar to the big games so I can play in the dressing room afterward.” He continued, “After the Real Madrid game [in the semi-finals], I went to see him and informed him that I couldn’t attend the FA Cup final or the Champions League final. Honestly, he gave me a look of complete disgust.”
“He looked at me with genuine contempt, as if questioning, ‘Well, what the hell are you doing instead?’ I told him, ‘I’m on tour,’ and he responded with ‘cancel it!'”
“I replied, ‘I can’t. I’ve already sold the tickets.’ Then, he exclaimed, ‘Ah, get out!’ and nearly shoved me out of his office. He probably treated me the same way he did Joao Cancelo when he got rid of him in January.”
Inter Milan striker Dzeko, hopeful of stopping his former club Manchester City, adds another layer of intrigue to the final.
An “Error of Admin”
Gallagher, whose latest album, Council Skies, released on Friday with his band High Flying Birds, is currently touring the United States while City faces Inter Milan in Istanbul. As a result, he has already missed the club’s initial two victory celebrations in what has been a sensational season.
“I wasn’t present at the Etihad for the Premier League trophy lift either,” Gallagher lamented. He explained, “I had prior commitments on the Sunday of the Chelsea game that I couldn’t get out of. Then, when Arsenal lost to Nottingham Forest the day before, I thought to myself, ‘Wouldn’t you just know it… Arsenal, I can’t rely on you for anything!'”
“Our tour began last week, so I missed the FA Cup final too. Everyone keeps asking me, ‘Will you be in Istanbul?’ and I have to respond with, ‘No, there has been a mistake’ or, as they say, an ‘error of admin.'”
“My management has been instructed to avoid booking gigs anywhere in the world around the Champions League final, just in case City reaches it. Usually, it falls around my birthday at the end of May. So, when this tour was presented to me, and it was scheduled to start in the US on June 2, I thought, ‘Great, let’s do it.'”
“But a few months ago, it suddenly hit me that I forgot to consider the World Cup and how it pushed everything back. When I realized that the Champions League final was on June 10—never before held this late—I couldn’t believe it.”
“Initially, I thought, ‘Well, we’re not going to make it anyway, so who cares? We’ll probably get eliminated in the quarter-finals again.’ But then, we kept winning. We were getting closer and closer, and I thought, ‘Oh no!'”
“To be honest, though, I’ve witnessed us win so much now that I don’t mind missing this one
5 comments
Noël Gallagher is a legend, man! Him and Pep have been through some epic wins with Man City. Can’t believe they won’t be together in Istanbul. Gonna listen to the radio coverage and hope City takes the trophy!
Haha, can you imagine Noël playing the guitar in the dressing room after a big game? That would be something. But dang, he’s missing out on the celebrations ’cause of his tour. Gotta prioritize, man!
Pep is a genius, no doubt. He’s got that special touch, always coming up with crazy tactics. Playing Stones in midfield? Madness! But it works, and that’s what counts. Can’t wait to see what he’s got in store for next season.
Noël’s right, you know. Winning the Champions League doesn’t define greatness. Look at Steaua Bucharest and Porto. They won it once, but they’re not considered top-notch teams. Pep’s impact on the game goes beyond trophies. He’s a legend regardless.
It’s a shame Noël won’t be there to see City win it all, but he’s seen them lift so many trophies already. Guess he’s got his priorities with his tour. Good luck to City, hope they bring home the Champions League!