Pep Guardiola Finally Speaks Out For The First Time After Embarrassing Defeat To Real Madrid In The UCL.

Following Manchester City's disappointing exit from the Champions League, manager Pep Guardiola has not spoken to his players since the devasting defeat at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Man City were beaten 3-1 by Real Madrid in agonising fashion in the second leg of the Champions League semi-final having won the first-leg 4-3 a week ago.

Despite being just few minutes away from making a back-to-back Champions League final, as they were two goals ahead going into the 90th minute of the encounter, yet conceded twice in two minutes to see their advantage wiped out.

Rodrygo brace in the 89th and 91st minute sent the game to extra time, before a Karim Benzema penalty at the beginning of extra time sent the newly crowned La Liga Champions through to the final against in Paris against Liverpool, thereby stopping a repeat of an all-English final.

City who is yet to win the competition under Guardiola were left wondering out what had just happened.

Another painful exit has left many wondering if City can ever win the Champions League, as Guardiola has still not landed the European club football’s elite prize in six attempts since taking charge at City in 2016.

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Facing the media in person for the first time since their heartbreaking defeat to Real Madrid, Pep Guardiola was questioned if his squad is suffering mentally after the shocking defeat in Madrid, and if there is a mental barrier among the group due to their repeating setbacks on the big stage in recent seasons, ahead of a league match with Newcastle on Sunday.

Guardiola launched a lengthy defence of the criticism levelled at them since Wednesday, and gave a full defence of his Man City team disputing the suggestion that his side lacked character and insisted that their Champions League exit was not a failure.

"I'm not saying it is a failure or not. People say if this group of players won't win the Champions League they will be failures. I accept it," he began in an emotional statement via the club's website on Friday afternoon. 

"I completely disagree, in sport we know how difficult everything's but I accept it. I'm not going to make a debate about who is right or wrong. I say as a club, as a feeling that we have, we start and try to do it. Of course we are sad.

"We didn't talk because everyone was sad that we couldn't do it. No words can help for what all of us feel.  Above me, the players wanted to play in the final of the Champions League but for this club to compete against Real Madrid the way we did it is a joy... The 51-year old added.

"I won't forget one week ago the way we played against them, how close we were to making it - wow. But we could not do it, we had to go there and make chances. We were good, but not good enough because I give a lot of credit to what the other team are.

"This is how we became this club. Name all the clubs in Europe that are there every year and in the last years we are there. Sometimes it is not possible. In our lives, in football, sometimes you do everything and you don't achieve it.

"What is the problem with that? The next day, try to do it, celebrate the good moments, the bad moments are more sad than usual, and continue to do it. I think this club is good for this."

Moving forward, Guardiola said "It is just a question of time, sleep as well as possible and think of the next target."

"Tomorrow will be the first day we are together and we are going to talk about who we are as a team, what we have done in the semi-final. How good we have been not just in these two games but all season and try to do it over the last weeks.

"It is probably one of the moments since I am manager I am most proud to be in this club and organisation until the last day we are here we give everything together."

READ MORE: Remontada Occurs In Spain As Real Madrid Knocks Out Man City From The Champions League.

With four matches to go to complete the season, The Blues must pick themselves up for a Premier League game with Newcastle on Sunday, and the club cannot afford any slip-ups if they are to retain the league title ahead of fierce rivals Liverpool.

Having won the Champions League twice as a manager with Barcelona, Guardiola has not lifted the trophy since 2011, coming up short at Bayern Munich and now City.

His latest failure has led to speculation that he could decide to end his time at the Etihad Stadium at the end of next season, when his current deal expires.

However, the UK Mirror reports the Spaniard will not walk away and is ready to sign a contract extension that will keep him at the blue side of Manchester until 2025 in a bid to finally deliver the Champions League trophy.