Pep Guardiola reckons he will always be judged as a failure, even if he wins the Champions League with Manchester City.
Manchester City start every season among the favourites to win the Champions League, though are so far yet to claim Europe’s biggest prize – the closest they have come being reaching the final in 2021.
Aside from that final – in which they were beaten 1-0 by Chelsea – under Guardiola City have reached the last 16 once, three quarter-finals, and last year’s semi-finals where they were beaten by eventual winners, Real Madrid.
The club kick off this year’s knockout campaign against RB Leipzig this evening, and Pep Guardiola – who won the Champions League twice while in charge of Barcelona – reckons that despite his achievements, ‘nothing will be enough’ in the eyes of the public and the media.
“People say because we have this name or whatever [City should win it], but I always have the feeling it’s so difficult to do that [win the Champions League]. Every season it’s more and more difficult,” Guardiola said at his pre-match press conference.
“We want to do our best and get to the quarter-finals but what is going to happen is going to happen. At the end of the day, our destiny is already written. Sometimes we have been close, sometimes not.
“Whatever I have done personally in the past or in the future, I am going to fail. Nothing will be enough.”
City go into this evening’s game without Kevin de Bruyne and Aymeric Laporte.
“Losing both [is a blow],” Guardiola said. “Kevin didn’t feel right after the game against Nottingham Forest and yesterday Ayme didn’t feel good. It happens sometimes.”
