Guardiola: Without Champions League City not a great team 

Football icon Pep Guardiola is refusing to rest on his laurels after leading Manchester City to a fifth Premier League title in six seasons, suggesting that his team cannot be considered true greats until they win the Champions League.

City have the opportunity to clinch that prize — which has proved so elusive to them — against Inter Milan in next month’s final in Istanbul. Unless they do so, Guardiola said, they will not be at the same level as the Barcelona team he led to two European titles, in 2009 and 2011, or indeed any of the other sides in football’s pantheon.

“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 [great] teams. Those teams, they’ve won not just once but many times in Europe,” Guardiola said. 

“The joy [of reaching the Champions League final is so nice, it’s amazing being here again and again. Nothing is going to change that but if we are [to be] considered one of the best teams, we have to win the Champions League. Otherwise my opinion [of how good City are] is not going to change. But to be in the books, the real books, you have to do that.” 

The league title, clinched after Arsenal lost away against Nottingham Forest, could be the first leg of the Treble of Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League, which has only been achieved before by Manchester United. 

However, Guardiola won a treble in Spain in his first season managing Barcelona. “I don’t remember how we won the treble and what I’d done, but I think in that period I remember saying, ‘what’s next?’ The first title helps win the second one, second one helps win the third. The dynamic helps you a lot — the mood helps you a lot,” he said.

The extraordinary run of form that has swept City to the title commenced in the wake of the club being charged by the Premier League for 115 alleged breaches of financial rules. Guardiola denied a sense of injustice had motivated his team, however, saying it was more down to their innate drive. 

“You can be angry one day when accused of something like we were. Anger accounts for that day but after that day, and for ten or 11 more, you have to sustain from something the basis of the mentality of the way we play and desire of every single player. 

“We had four Premier Leagues and [felt] we must fight for another. Why should it stop? Why should we stop after losing the Champions League semi-final [last season] and not try again and again? The best clubs are always starving. They want more and more.”