Guardiola and Zidane exchange praise ahead of Real Madrid vs Manchester City

Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola said no club will repeat Real Madrid’s feat of three consecutive Champions League wins as he and opposite number Zinedine Zidane showered each other with praise ahead of Wednesday’s crunch clash in the Spanish capital.

Zidane’s Real monopolised Europe’s most coveted trophy between 2016 and 2018 until the Frenchman resigned in the aftermath of his side’s 3-1 win over Liverpool in the 2018 final, only to rejoin the club 10 months later.

“What he’s done in Europe will not be repeated. Winning the Champions League three times in a row proves how great this club is,” Guardiola said ahead of the last-16 first leg clash at the Santiago Bernabeu.