Kevin De Bruyne admits Man City have a ‘chance to close a chapter’ if they win the Champions League

Kevin De Bruyne admits Manchester City have a ‘chance to close a chapter’ on their dream of winning the Champions League, as Pep Guardiola claims his side are ‘ready’ but are not underestimating Inter Milan

  • Kevin De Bruyne says his side have a chance ‘to close a chapter’ tomorrow night
  • Man City have landed in Istanbul ahead of tomorrow’s Champions League final  
  • Today Pep Guardiola also admitted that he ‘has the feeling that we are ready’  

Manchester City are in Istanbul ready to deal with their Champions League obsession and complete an historic Treble on Saturday.

Kevin De Bruyne claimed last night that finally lifting Europe’s biggest prize is both a dream and an obsession for the club, with Pep Guardiola believing his players are primed to make history.

Simone Inzaghi’s Inter stand in City’s way over in Turkey as Guardiola’s side look to go one better than two years ago, when they were beaten finalists.

‘To achieve things you have to have the correct portion of obsession and desire,’ Guardiola said. ‘Obsession is a positive word. I have the feeling that we are ready. It’s absolutely a dream.

‘We know how important it is. You have to be stable in finals. Inter are bigger than us in terms of history but what’s important is do the best performance possible and that can make the difference.’

Kevin De Bruyne has said Man City have the ‘chance to close a chapter if they win tomorrow night’s Champions League final’

His side have been training inside the Ataturk Stadium today after landing in Istanbul yesterday

His side have been training inside the Ataturk Stadium today after landing in Istanbul yesterday

De Bruyne admitted his side 'needed to find a way of winning first Champions League' after the heartache of losing the final to Chelsea in 2021

De Bruyne admitted his side ‘needed to find a way of winning first Champions League’ after the heartache of losing the final to Chelsea in 2021

De Bruyne was asked whether the longing to prevail in the Champions League could be described as ‘a dream or an obsession,’ and replied: ‘Maybe both. I’ve been here a long time. For me it’s been an incredible, the eight years.

‘But we haven’t won this competition. That’s the only little reminder people can give us. We’ve been consistent but we need to find a way of winning the first one. If we do, it’ll be immense for the players and the club. We’ve got a chance to close that [chapter] if we are good enough.’

Already Premier League and FA Cup winners, City will also emulate Manchester United’s famous Treble team of 1999 and write themselves into the record books.

They are overwhelming favourites to lift the title but defender Ruben Dias warned against complacency. ‘People can say whatever they want but there are no favourites in this game,’ he said.

Pep Guardiola (back middle) has also been speaking ahead of the match and believes his side are 'ready' for tomorrow's match

Pep Guardiola (back middle) has also been speaking ahead of the match and believes his side are ‘ready’ for tomorrow’s match

De Bruyne (left) also admitted he has had an 'incredible eight years at the club' ahead of the match

De Bruyne (left) also admitted he has had an ‘incredible eight years at the club’ ahead of the match 

City seem to have been in a positive mood as they trained inside the stadium earlier today

City seem to have been in a positive mood as they trained inside the stadium earlier today

Guardiola (middle) was seen getting stuck into their training session at the stadium too

Guardiola (middle) was seen getting stuck into their training session at the stadium too

Man City's FA Cup winning captain Ilkay Gundogan (middle) was seen dribbling round his team-mates in the session

Man City’s FA Cup winning captain Ilkay Gundogan (middle) was seen dribbling round his team-mates in the session

During the press conference, Pep Guardiola also said he 'didn't have any doubts' over Erling Haaland's goal scoring abilities after having scored once in seven games

During the press conference, Pep Guardiola also said he ‘didn’t have any doubts’ over Erling Haaland’s goal scoring abilities after having scored once in seven games 

Man City gathered round the centre circle at the Ataturk Stadium as they prepared for tomorrow's final

Man City gathered round the centre circle at the Ataturk Stadium as they prepared for tomorrow’s final

‘When the decision [time] comes it’s the sweet spot for us. You can see the character of the team in these stages, whether they want to move forward or start hiding.

‘We’ve shown up every time and Saturday will be no different. We love the pressure.’

City fans routinely jeer the Champions League anthem but Guardiola echoed Ilkay Gundogan’s calls for the travelling support to enjoy the occasion.

‘It’s a day to celebrate,’ Guardiola said. ‘Celebrate being here. What’s happened in the past has happened in the past. This is an incredible competition. We’re here to support what UEFA are doing and we are not going to boo any more. Try to have fun.’

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