AL AIN // Samir Nasri said Manchester City were humbled and overwhelmed by the hospitality and reception they received from Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed in Abu Dhabi and by the fans at the Hazza bin Zayed Stadium.
"It was good to come here and show that, even if it is a friendly, we take it seriously," said Nasri, who captained and led the side to a 3-0 win over Al Ain on Thursday night.
“I didn’t think the passion was so strong in here. It was fantastic to see that and to share our victory with the fans was great.
“It was a pleasure to meet the owner. It was my first time here and they showed lot of respect that we did something amazing. We came here to show how grateful we are.
“The stadium is amazing, but it was difficult for us as it is very, very hot in here. Otherwise, everything looks great and it looks like a home of a top club.
“The fans had not seen us and it was the first time they saw us and I’m sure they all will be happy. The all turned up and we wanted to make them happy. I’m sure they are happy to see us play.
“When you play for Man City, you would like to win so many trophies. I would like to win the champions trophy and I think that’s what should be our next step.
"To be the best club in Europe would be really great. I won't be there for the World Cup, and so it will be a good thing for my club. I can relax and come back fresh for the next season."
Marcos Lopes, who scored City’s first goal, said it was “amazing” to win the English Premier League title and have the reception they received in Manchester.
“To come to Abu Dhabi and see that there is support for us here was amazing,” he said. “The owner, the fans all turned up and to see that support was great. The fans deserved to see us in action here and that’s what we did.
“Man City is a big club and have big players. We work really hard in the practice and try to do things as correctly as possible.
“We had very good time in Abu Dhabi. It was too hot at times, but we enjoyed our stay. We have one more day to enjoy.
“Al Ain have some good players and they are a good team. All their players would have enjoyed playing against us and we certainly did.”
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