Winning Champions League is necessary to be called 'successful', admits Pep Guardiola
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Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola feels that he’ll be regarded as a successful manager at the Etihad if he is can win the Champions League with them. The Spaniard has won two Premier League titles, two Carabao Cups, one FA Cup and two domestic shields in his 3 and a half year spell at Manchester.
In an interview with BBC, Manchester City manager Pe Guardiola has admitted that he’ll be judged on whether he’s able to win the UEFA Champions League with the Citizens or not. Guardiola’s contract runs till 2021 and so far hasn’t had a successful Champions League campaign with the Manchester side. In his last three seasons, the ex Bayern Munich boss has only been able to take the City team to quarter-final stage at best.
The last two seasons has seen the Cityzens eliminated by Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur in the last eight stages. In Pep’s debut campaign, the Citizens were eliminated by AS Monaco in the round of 16.
“Last year was an extraordinary one for us but people say, 'But you didn't win the Champions League. 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,” said Pep Guardiola to BBC.
But, apart from the European troubles, City have been a rampant force in the domestic campaigns. After a trophyless debut season, Manchester City won two titles including the Carabao cup and the Premier League title in their second year. Last year, City managed to retain both their titles and also win the FA Cup becoming the first men's side to win the domestic treble.
However, the former Barcelona manager’s team may fall short of winning a third consecutive top-flight title as Liverpool stride past everyone in the league. City takes on Jose Mourinho’s Spurs but Guardiola insisted that the team will have qualities of former Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino as well. The Argentine was sacked after the North Londoners failed to establish themselves in the top four and replaced by Mourinho in November.
“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,” concluded the Spaniard
