Guardiola plays down failure to emulate Champions League wonder run

Pep Guardiola admitted on Saturday that Manchester City are far away from challenging for the Uefa Champions League - European club football's biggest prize.

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has brushed off his failure to lead the club to the latter stages of the Champions League. Reuters/Andrew Yates

The manager of one of the world's wealthiest football clubs has been in the unusual position of watching the Champions League quarter-finals from a distance this week.

City's exit against Monaco in the last 16 ended a remarkable seven year run during which the Spaniard had guided one of his sides – Barcelona or Bayern Munich - to at least the semi-final stage of the competition.

"Manchester City are far away," said Guardiola. "Not in terms of the quality, in terms of how they play situations.

"We had that in the Monaco game and we cannot forget how good they are after what they did by winning in Dortmund on Wednesday night. "We were able to score six goals in two games against Monaco and we are out. It's about how you live and handle the situation.

"For that you need experience. Hopefully we got that experience there and it'll help us next season."

In 2016, City reached the semi-finals under Manuel Pellegrini and – assuming Chelsea or Tottenham Hotspur win the Premier League title – City are among three
teams fighting for two remaining places that lead to the 2017/2018 Champions League.

City play at Southampton on Saturday night knowing that victory will take them up to third, one point ahead of Liverpool who face West Bromwich Albion on Sunday afternoon. Manchester United, who are also in with a chance of claiming a top four spot, entertain leaders Chelsea on Sunday at Old Trafford.

"We need to qualify for next season," Guardiola said. “The Champions League is so demanding. Believe me, the exception is to be seven years in a row there. The exception is not to be out once with City in the last 16, quarter-finals or semi-finals.
"That can happen. The exception is seven times in a row at the semi-final or final."