Pep Guardiola: I’m sorry Ronaldo can’t meet Benfica in semi final

Bayern Munich boss Pep Guardiola says he is sorry for denying Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo a dream Champions League semi final showdown with Benfica.

After Los Blancos progressed to the last four on Tuesday evening – thanks to Ronaldo’s brilliant hat trick against Wolfsburg – the Portuguese was asked by reporters who he would like to face in the semi finals.

And he responded by saying he’d like to avoid the Spanish team involved – Atletico de Madrid – and would love to meet Benfica, who had to overturn a 1-0 deficit at home on Wednesday night. That wasn’t to be as Bayern secured a 2-2 draw at the Estadio da Luz to ensure their presence in the final four yet again.

Speaking after the match at his press conference, Guardiola joked that he was sorry for denying Ronaldo the chance to face a team from his country.

“I know that Cristiano would have liked Benfica in the semi-finals, I am sorry for him,” he said.

The draw for the semi final takes place on Friday and Guardiola, who will move to Manchester City in the summer, says he is not concerned by comments that his time in Germany won’t have been successful if he doesn’t win Europe’s top club competition.

“According to what I have read in Germany, if we do not win the Champions League my work will be incomplete in fans’ eyes. But in the end, us coaches are here to win titles and win as many games as possible. I have never won as many games in my life and I don’t think I can repeat it in the future,” he commented.