Pep Guardiola insists he would rather win the Premier League than the Champions League next term
Pep Guardiola insists he would rather win the Premier League again next season than the Champions League at Manchester City.
City romped to their third title in seven years, and Guardiola’s first at the club, with a record points, wins and goals total in the 2017/18 season.
They exited the Champions League against Liverpool at the last-eight stage, and though City have never won the competition, two-time winner Guardiola insists it would be a mistake to focus more of their energies on the European competition next season.
Guardiola won the Champions League at Wembley as Barcelona boss in 2011
Asked by Gary Neville on the MNF special whether he’d rather win the Premier League again or the Champions League, Guardiola said: “Premier League. No doubt.
“It will be a huge mistake to think: ‘OK now we have the Premier League, we are now going to go for the Champions League instead’. Big mistake.
Read all that Pep Guardiola had to say on MNF, including signings, difficult decisions and how City can improve.
“To be out of the Champions League and win the Premier League again, I’d sign it now. The Premier League is the most important thing. It gives you the consistency to arrive at the right moment, the Champions League is so complicated the opponents are so good, all of them.
“The Premier League is the most important thing.”
The Spaniard also won the Champions League in his first season at the Nou Camp in 2009
Guardiola won the Champions League with Barcelona in 2009 and 2011, and has not reached the final since, following a three-year stint at Bayern which saw three semi-final defeats.
Asked if he was desperate to win the Champions League again soon, Guardiola said: “Desperate is not the right word, for Barcelona the first they won it was in 1992. Sir Alex Ferguson took his time to win it.
Kompany salutes Pep
Vincent Kompany pays tribute to Man City boss Pep Guardiola as the players celebrate on their open-top bus parade.
Vincent Kompany gave this tribute to Guardiola as the players celebrated their title win on an open-top bus parade
“It would be a big mistake tor Man City to be focusing on it, of course it will be a target, of course we will fight.
“But for us our big moments of the season when we were in November, December and we were real contenders for the Champions League, but that was because we were doing so well [in the league].
“That competition, you play at Anfield, Barcelona, Real Madrid, Roma, Bayern, United, Juventus, all of the big clubs.
“Of course we are going to try it, but I don’t think: ‘If we don’t win the Champions League in the next five years it will be a disaster!’ I don’t think so.”
