EXCLUSIVE: Olatunji thrilled to achieve Manchester City dream despite Sparta Prague loss
After playing to a 1-1 draw against Bundesliga side Stuttgart in their previous match, the Czech Republic team travelled to the Etihad Stadium hoping to extend their unbeaten streak in the competition.
However, they could not contend with the overwhelming firepower of Pep Guardiola’s side, as they were overpowered by a brace from Erling Haaland along with goals from Phil Foden, John Stones, and Matheus Nunes.
In an exclusive interview with Flashscore, the Nigerian striker expressed that he did not anticipate the outcome, as the Maroons gave it their all. More importantly, he feels fulfilled having realised his childhood dream of playing against the Premier League club.
Olatunji said: “It was a good game, a good test for us as well and tough luck for us, that’s how I would describe it.
“I did not expect this kind of result but we know this (Manchester City) are a good side and we played our game.
“We all know Manchester City but we tried to do what we needed to do but the result (did not go our way).
“It is every child’s dream and it has always been my dream to play against them and also to play for them.
“So, it’s a dream come true for me because I watched them play when I was very young.”
Before the game, Sparta Prague manager Lars Friis heaped praise on former Barcelona and Bayern Munich coach Guardiola, calling him the best in the world.
“Pep is the best coach in the world and the best there has ever been,” he told the media.
“I’m not only talking about winning trophies, but the way he has developed the game and invented systems.
“He has been a big inspiration for many coaches, many of them in the Premier League. It was the same for me in my early days.
“A lot of what goes on in the football world I believe comes from his head. It is a pleasure to play against a coach like Guardiola but when the game is on it is a game. But for me he is the best coach we have ever seen.”
After a lackluster performance, the former Slovan Liberec forward was substituted for Albion Rrahmani in the 60th minute.
Before being substituted, he recorded zero shots on target, zero key passes, 14 touches, six passes, and a passing accuracy of 50%.
He noted that he was not disappointed at not scoring against the former European champions, which would have brought his total to four goals, given the impressive depth of quality in Guardiola’s squad.
“Of course, I am not disappointed not to have scored against them because that is how the game went. More importantly, I am happy that have played in this game.”
With this defeat, Sparta Prague have now lost three of their last five matches, managing just one win and a draw. The Nigerian striker was quick to emphasise that there is nothing wrong with Friis’ squad.
“There is nothing wrong my team; we will surely bounce back.”
Olatunji has netted three goals in 10 league matches during the 2024-25 campaign and has encouraged his fans to expect even more from him as the season unfolds.
“What I can tell my fans is that they should expect more goals from me as the season progresses.”
Olatunji signed a multi-year contract with Sparta Prague on July 17, 2023, and played a key role in the club's qualification for the 2023-24 Champions League, scoring an 87th-minute goal in their 4-1 comeback victory against Dinamo Zagreb.
The reigning Czech First League champions will next head to Viktoria Plzen on Sunday, aiming to get back to winning ways.
