The Blues fought hard to defend the coveted crown of reigning European champions against the La Liga side, eventually exiting the competition via the lottery of a penalty shootout.
The boss, though disappointed to be eliminated from the competition, couldn’t have been more proud of his side, who registered an incredible 33 shots to Real’s eight, but couldn’t find the second goal that would have won the tie in normal time.
Guardiola says he felt he could not have asked for any more from his team, and far from opening an inquest into the defeat, said very few words after the game.
Asked at his Friday press conference what he had actually said, he replied: “Nothing. After, I said thank you. We talked about the game, being ourselves.
“We all want to win, but at least try to be ourselves. More than ever, we were.
“After, I said thanks for the professional job and after that they have to pass the moment alone with friends and family.
“There are smiles on the pitch and the FA Cup is a huge target to reach the final.
“Chelsea are maybe the toughest opponent we can face right now.
“We will travel this afternoon and see who feels better and who recovered better against Real Madrid.
“They say ‘I’m fine Pep’ but at the end you never know - everyone’s ready to try again.”
