Pep Guardiola has acknowledged that Manchester City must win the Champions League to be regarded among the greatest teams of all time, despite their dominant domestic record. The City manager spoke ahead of the Champions League final, following a 5-1 aggregate semi-final victory over Real Madrid.
Guardiola said: 'The team is really good but I’m in agreement with the media and people saying we have to win in Europe to be considered as the same type to those teams.' He noted that the Barcelona side he led to a treble in 2008-09 is widely seen as one of the best, and that City need European success to join that elite company.
City can achieve a treble of Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League this season, which would make them only the second English club to do so. Guardiola stressed that winning Europe's top prize is essential for the team to be 'in the real books'.
The Catalan also reflected on how English football has shaped him as a coach. 'The longer you are in it here, the better manager you are than at the beginning of your career,' he said. He praised the unique drama of the English game, citing Sheffield Wednesday’s remarkable playoff comeback against Peterborough, where they overturned a 4-0 first-leg deficit to win on penalties.
