Silva says Double Triple is an “inspiration” for Man City

Bernardo Silva says an unprecedented double treble is an “inspiration and motivation” as Manchester City prepare to host Real Madrid on Wednesday, leaving a place in the Champions League semi-finals at stake.

Last season, Pep Guardiola's men became only the second club in English history to win the Champions League, Premier League and FA Cup treble – 24 years after neighbors Manchester United achieved the feat.

City drew the first leg of the Champions League quarter-final 3-3 with 14-time European champions Real at the Bernabeu last week.

As the finish line of the 2023/24 season approaches, they sit two points clear at the top of the Premier League with six games to go and face Chelsea in the FA Cup semi-finals this weekend.

Silva told reporters on Tuesday he was not surprised by City's relentless success but said there was still a long way to go.

“Of course it's an inspiration and motivation because we know how well this team has done since I've been here – this is my seventh season,” he said. “We want to create that legacy.”

The Portugal attacking midfielder added: “We want to win another Premier League, six in seven years and four Premier Leagues in a row.”

“We want the Champions League twice in a row… and if we can do that and two trebles in a row, which nobody has done, that would be a legacy, so that's definitely motivation when you know it's very, very difficult.”

“Because in a week we could be eliminated from all competitions, but we are fighting for it and will do everything we can to get one step closer to this goal.”

City will play Real in the knockout rounds of the Champions League for the third time in a row.

After defeat in the 2021/22 season, Guardiola's side beat the Spanish giants with an impressive 4-0 win in the second leg at the Etihad Stadium last season.

Guardiola warned City are “far from hypothetical dreams” as he prepared to face Carlo Ancelotti’s team.

“There are six games (in the league),” he said. “We have a lot of difficult home and away games with opponents, we have, they have.

“It's always just a game. “That means Madrid tomorrow, what they have to do to beat them, step by step,” explained the City manager, who made a name for himself as a player and coach at Spanish arch-rivals Barcelona.

“I started thinking about the treble when we beat Manchester United in the FA Cup final last season… but the success for me this season is that we are still there.”

“To still be in this position after winning the treble with four, five, six weeks to go is just incredible.”

jw/jdg/ex