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Pep Guardiola caught the eye in Manchester City's 3-3 draw with Real Madrid last night (April 9) as he wore one of the world's most expensive watches.
Guardiola oversaw a pulsating draw against Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League quarterfinal. The Spanish coach conducted his team from the touchline in style.
The two-time treble-winning coach wore a high-end brand Richard Mille watch worth £1.1 million. The fancy piece of jewelry was specifically created for his fellow countryman and tennis legend Rafael Nadal, per The Daily Mail.
The watch's official name is Calibre RM27-01 and it has a manual winding tourbillon movement with an open design showing the gears and hands inside. It also has yellow lines and dots to resemble the minutes and hours.
The watch is also a world record-breaker as it is the lightest mechanical watch of all time. It weighs just 18.83 grams, including the strap. There are only 50 versions available and Guardiola and Nadal are two of those who lay claim to having the stunning piece of jewelry.
Guardiola was unable to guide his side to victory at the Bernabeu but came close. It was one of the most frantic Champions League games in history as Manchester City twice took the lead.
Bernardo Silva (2'), Phil Foden (66'), and Josko Gvardiol (71') were on target for the visitors. Carlo Ancelotti's men hit back through Ruben Dias' OG (12'), Rodrygo (14') and Federico Valverde (79').
It means it's all to play for when Manchester City host Real Madrid at the Etihad next Wednesday (April 17). The Cityzens romped to a 4-0 home win (5-1 aggregate) against the La Liga giants in last season's semifinals.
Rodri suggests message to Guardiola about rest ahead of Manchester City's second leg against Real Madrid
Manchester City played three times after the international break while Real Madrid were in action just once. Ancelotti was able to rest his men for nine days before the first-leg draw at the Bernabeu while the Cityzens beat Crystal Palace 4-2 just three days before.
Rodri was excellent in the draw against Los Blancos and has been throughout the season. The Spanish midfielder controlled play in the middle of the park and also put out fires when required.
However, Rodri appeared to send Guardiola a message about rest ahead of Real Madrid's visit in nine days (via City Xtra):
"I do need a rest. It is something we are planning. Let’s see how we speak, how we live the situation. Sometimes it is what it is [and] I need to adjust."
Manchester City face Luton Town at home in the league on Saturday (April 13). They are in a three-horse title race with Arsenal and Liverpool, sitting third, a point behind their title rivals. Guardiola may need to shuffle his deck against the Hatters to ensure his players are in top-notch condition against Madrid.
