Will the Champions League be Guardiola’s regret for Manchester City?

Guardiola clearly sees the Champions League as the most important competition, rarely more lively than a big European night.

The image of Guardiola with his hands on the touchline, or looking anxiously at it and throwing his arms in the air in frustration, is not an uncommon sight.

Fans will remember Guardiola being on his knees in the quarter-final against Tottenham in 2019 when Raheem Sterling’s last-minute winner was ruled out for offside. They will remember him waving his arms in frustration at the same stage against Lyon a year later.

Defeat in the final to Chelsea in 2021 was also painful, but when City cruised to a 1-0 win in the 2023 final over Inter Milan to win their first European title and complete a historic treble, fans may have expected it would open the door to further European success.

Instead, they have only won one Champions League knockout match since then, against Copenhagen, losing nine times. From the last 17 European matches.

Four-time Champions League winner Clarence Seedorf told Amazon Prime: “There’s no debate about Pep’s quality as a coach. He makes a choice and he is.” [an attacking] Philosophy – He wants to score more goals than the opponent.

“But it comes at a high price when you play against the best players in the world at a certain stage. [in] Quarter-finals and semi-finals.

“I think the defensive part of his game can be improved, but I don’t think he’ll change.”