Pep Guardiola wants Manchester City to use Champions League failure as motivation to qualify for next season’s tournament | Football News
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola said that the team should use getting knocked out of the Champions League as a motivation to qualify for next season’s competition. City’s streak of reaching the quarterfinals for seven straight seasons between 2018-2024, was ended when they lost to Real Madrid in the Round of 16.
“Of course it is motivation, yeah. I don’t think it’s a bad thing to be fighting to qualify for the Champions League…. It’s in our hands, and of course Goodison Park and Villa is massively important. We don’t have much time. I enjoyed (this week’s Champions League) games, really nice games. I enjoyed it, I miss it of course, but I accept that,” Guardiola told reporters ahead of their match against Everton on Saturday.
“Sometimes in sport you don’t perform well, don’t deserve to be (there). Hopefully next season we can be, dealing with the big clubs in Europe and challenging them better than we have done this season, what we have done in the last seven years. I take it in that way,” he added.
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Aside from the Champions League, City has had a below par league season as well, currently sitting fifth in the standings, 21 points adrift of leaders Liverpool. They also have Chelsea and Aston Villa breathing down their nexks with just one point separating Guardiola’s side from them.
The defending champions will next face 13th-placed Everton at Goodison Park, where they will be without striker Erling Haaland and goalkeeper Ederson, who was taken off in a 5-2 comeback victory over Crystal Palace last week with a groin injury.
“Next games he (Haaland) will not be ready. We don’t know how long he (Ederson) will be out for. (Manuel Akanji and Phil Foden) came back – Phil just on Thursday, and today with his second session since Old Trafford. And Manu, he made two or three sessions with us and I see him moving really well,” Guardiola said.
(With agency inputs)
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