I’ll be judged a failure at Man City without Champions League win, says Guardiola

BBC
BBC
Pep Guardiola's last Champions League win was in 2011 when he was manager of Barcelona

Pep Guardiola thinks he will be regarded as a failure at Manchester City if he does not win the Champions League.

The former Barcelona boss has won five major trophies since arriving at City in 2016, including Premier League titles in 2017-18 and 2018-19.

However, European success has so far eluded Guardiola.

“Last year was an extraordinary one for us but people say, ‘But you didn’t win the Champions League’,” he said.

“That is why I will be judged, if we don’t win it in my final period here, that I will be a failure here. I know that.”

City have not made it beyond the quarter-finals of the Champions League under Guardiola and have been knocked out by Monaco, Liverpool and Tottenham in the last three seasons.

On Sunday, Guardiola’s side face a trip to Spurs for the first time since last season’s Champions League last-eight first leg defeat.

Mauricio Pochettino was in the Tottenham dugout that day but Guardiola will now face a Spurs side managed by his long-time rival Jose Mourinho.

Guardiola expects to face a team that have traits of both managers.

He added: “They are quite different but there are similarities. Their teams are both quite aggressive.

“I saw Tottenham at Southampton and they were alive. They conceded a last-minute goal but I saw a team that is there.

“Every manager has different ideas, both are incredible managers. Mauricio Pochettino was there five or six years while Mourinho has been there just months, so all managers need time to make our teams play the way we want.”

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