Pep Guardiola has said “maybe I’m not good enough” to lead Manchester City to Champions League glory but the manager is clear the team will keep trying to triumph in the competition.
City were knocked out in the semi-finals by Real Madrid on Wednesday, 6-5 on aggregate, having led 5-3 overall and 1-0 on the night with seconds remaining at the Bernabéu before added time. Guardiola was proud of his side despite the shock of the defeat but questioned himself after a sixth disappointment in the competition in his six years in charge.
“Maybe I’m not good enough to help the team to do it,” he said. “Nobody knows what would have happened with other players or managers. We were close – they know it, we know it – but what is important is we are going to try again next season, and then again.”
Guardiola was asked whether his squad was capable of winning the Champions League. “I don’t know. It’s a question I cannot answer,” he said. “Before Madrid I didn’t know [too]. Sometimes you ask me questions but I don’t have the answer to all of your questions. Football is incredibly unpredictable. We saw it.
“Maybe I’m wrong, but I have the feeling that the people from Abu Dhabi bought this club and invested in these incredible facilities and players like a lot of other clubs in the world to have what we have lived in the last years – not to just win the Champions League. They did it to be there in all competitions every season and compete in all competitions until the end. We want to do it.”
Guardiola said he had not spoken to his players in the two days after the loss. “We didn’t speak. No words can help what all of us feel. It is just a question of time, sleep as well as possible and think of the next target. Tomorrow [Saturday] will be the first day we are together and we are going to talk about who we are as a team, what we have done in the semi-final, how good we have been not just in these two games but all season and try to do it over the last weeks.
“It is probably one of the moments since I am manager I am most proud to be in this club and organisation, and until the last day we are here we give everything together.”
City host Newcastle on Sunday. They hold a one-point lead over Liverpool with 12 points to play for as they aim to retain the title. Guardiola was asked whether the Real reverse made him hungrier for success. “No,” he said. “I’m always starving.”
