Guardiola: Not winning the Champions League would be a failure for Manchester City
Manchester City have reaped many successes under Pep Guardiola, but the manager feels that the team needs to win the Champions League.
Pep Guardiola believes that he will be branded a failure at Manchester City if he does not deliver the Champions League for the club. While City look certain to lose out on the Premier League this season to runaway leaders Liverpool, Guardiola's can plough all of their energies into the competitions they still have a chance of winning - including the Champions League, a tournament they have never won.
Guardiola's domestic honours with City
Since his arrival in 2016, the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich coach has won two Premier League titles, the first with a record haul of 100 points and the second with 98, an FA Cup and two EFL Carabao Cups. In addition, City's football has often been exhilarating during Guardiola's tenure, yet the Catalan knows that will not be enough to satisfy some observers if one further objective is not met.
"Winning a certain way is what helps you to win the titles," he said ahead of Sunday's Premier League meeting with Tottenham. "We believe we can play in that way. But we will see at the end. Of course, here we will be judged not for the certain way [we play] but for the titles we win. That is the truth. It is as simple as that. We believe in this way. Last season was an extraordinary season for us and the people say, 'yeah, but you didn't win the Champions League'. That is why I will be judged - if we don't win the Champions League it will be a failure in my period here in Manchester. I know that."
Manchester City's European record
City have yet to progress beyond the Champions League quarter-finals under Guardiola. They face Real Madrid in this season's Last 16, with the first leg scheduled for 26 February at the Santiago Bernabéu.