Champions League win needed for City to be considered great, admits Guardiola

Pep Guardiola has admitted that Manchester City will have to win the Champions League before they are recognised as a truly great side by the rest of Europe.

City go into Sunday’s title showdown with Liverpool in contention to win a treble this season after beating Atlético Madrid 1-0 in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final in midweek. With the second leg against Atlético to come on Wednesday before the FA Cup semi-final against Jürgen Klopp’s side next weekend, Guardiola said his side has been widely praised for their achievements in domestic football that have included three Premier League titles since 2018.

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But the City manager acknowledged that City will never be classed in the same bracket as his Barcelona teams unless they become European champions. “I think we’ve had incredible words and compliments. What we feel together inside is that we will remember that period with big satisfaction with what we’ve done,” said Guardiola.

“Sometimes to be happy we get the proof from outside to be happy inside and that is stupid. What we want is proof from the outside that what we’ve done is right. It is right what we’ve done and it is right what we’re doing.

“I agree with most of the people who said that we’ve not achieved in Europe, we’ve not won the Champions League and maybe they are right. To get the recognition of everyone in the world outside we need to conquer Europe.”

He added: “Is it going to happen? I don’t know – so far what we’ve done here makes me incredibly happy. First of all we had fun. We did many, many good things, that’s my feeling. But whether it is enough doesn’t matter. I could not care less.

“Many