Guardiola's City viewed as Champions League 'failures'

Manager says his past success in competition with Barcelona and Bayern cannot be matched


AFP February 22, 2023

LEIPZIG:

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola said on Tuesday his outfit will be perceived to have failed no matter what his side achieves in the Champions League, because of his past success in the competition.

Guardiola was speaking ahead of Wednesday's first leg, last 16 Champions League tie at RB Leipzig in a competition that has eluded the Spaniard since 2011.

Guardiola won the Champions League twice with Barcelona, but has fallen short with strong Bayern Munich and now City sides.

"This is my feeling, I have the feeling that what we have done, all of us, for many years, whatever happens, we are going to fail," he told reporters.

"Whatever I do personally in the future, (because) of what I've done in the past, I'm going to fail.

"Nothing will be enough."

Guardiola has made the Champions League final once since leaving Barcelona, but lost 1-0 to Chelsea in the 2020-2021 season.

"If my career was to finish tomorrow, because I could not be a manager anymore, I would be more than blessed and grateful for what I have done at Barcelona, Bayern Munich and here in Europe.

"Not just for the success that we had all together but for the way - the way we played, I love it.

"I cannot ask for more. We want to do our best.

"If it's going to happen it's going to happen. At the end our destiny is already written."

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