Bernardo Silva helped fire Manchester City to the Champions League final (Getty)
Manchester City’s CEO Ferran Soriano has hit back at suggestions that Pep Guardiola’s side are only successful because of the money they have spent on new signings.
City thrashed Real Madrid 4-0 in the second leg of their Champions League semi final on Wednesday night to secure their place in the final against Inter on June 10.
Guardiola’s side could also retain their Premier League title this weekend if they beat Chelsea at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday, while they are also on course to win the treble this season as they play Manchester United in the FA Cup final.
City’s success has been overshadowed after the Premier League charged the club in February with breaching its financial rules on more than 100 occasions over multiple years.
But despite facing multiple allegations of financial doping, Soriano insists City have not overspent in comparison with their Premier League rivals.
Pep Guardiola is a step closer to winning his first Champions League trophy with Manchester City (AP)
In a staunch defence of City’s spending following their win over Madrid on Wednesday evening, Soriano told Movistar: ‘Look, you only have to look at the investment in players in England in the last year, three years, five years… we are never the club spending the most on players.
‘There are many other clubs investing more money than us – Chelsea, Manchester United, Arsenal.
‘Saying that we’ve spent a lot of money and we won because of that is just not true.’
BIGGEST SPENDERS OVER THE LAST DECADE
1. Chelsea (£1.82bn)
2. Man City (£1.5bn)
3. Man Utd (£1.45bn)
4. Juventus (£1.44bn)
5. Barcelona (£1.42bn)
6. Paris Saint-Germain (£1.29bn)
7. Arsenal (£1.04bn)
8. Liverpool (£1.01bn)
9. Real Madrid (£999m)
10. Tottenham (£960m)
(Figures via Transfermarkt)
Soriano also discussed the prospect of City finally winning the Champions League for the first time in the club’s history.
‘The Champions League is a bit symbolic,’ he said.
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‘We work every day for the Premier League, it’s a very difficult tournament to win. If we do it this year, it will be the third in a row, five in six years.
‘From my experience, I know that you cannot base all your strategy on winning the Champions League, because it depends on the draw, a bad day… but yes, when we win it, which we will do one day, it will be something symbolic.’
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‘Saying that we’ve spent a lot of money and we won because of that is just not true.’
