"What a disastrous match," said Pep Guardiola, revealing he would rather watch England's third tier than the blockbuster PSG vs. Bayern clash

Pep Guardiola missed the spectacle altogether; instead, he was at Edgeley Park watching the English third-tier clash between Stockport County and Port Vale FC. Photos of the Catalan strategist at the historic ground quickly circulated on social media. 

At Friday's press conference ahead of Manchester City's match against Everton, Guardiola—who managed Bayern Munich from 2013 to 2016—was asked about his surprising choice. "Yesterday I checked the fixture list, saw PSG versus Bayern Munich and thought, 'What a disastrous match. The managers aren't good, really rubbish players,'" Guardiola recounted wryly. "I love English football, so I chose Stockport." 

As it happens, Guardiola has influenced both of the "not very good" managers. Vincent Kompany once captained Manchester City under him, while Luis Enrique managed Barça's reserves from 2008 to 2011, during Guardiola's own dominant spell with the first team.

Guardiola and City were knocked out by Real Madrid in the round of 16 of this season's Champions League. In the Premier League, the Sky Blues are currently locked in a tight title race with Arsenal. City have already won the League Cup and will face Chelsea in the FA Cup final on 16 May. 

Meanwhile, in a surprise 2-1 win at Stockport, already-relegated third-tier side Port Vale claimed a rare scalp, while Stockport continue to chase promotion to the Championship.