Pep Guardiola has claimed that in order for his Manchester City side to be remembered as one of Europe's great teams, they must secure a maiden Champions League crown.
Defeat to Wolves on Friday night saw the Citizens fall even further behind Liverpool in the Premier League title race, with the 3-2 loss leaving them 14 points adrift of the Reds at the league summit.
PEP We can not give up otherwise we won’t be in Europe. There's less than 40 hours until we play. We have to prepare.
— Manchester City (@ManCity) December 27, 2019
Our response is always good and we are used to being top and now we are fighting.
#WOLMCI #ManCity pic.twitter.com/kG5wCVbPz8
Their success domestically has been unparalleled over the last decade though, with four Premier League titles, two FA Cups and four Carabao Cups going by the way of the blue half of Manchester. Nevertheless, one of the only criticisms of this record-breaking City side has been their failure to transmit their success onto the European stage.
The Catalan tactician confessed that success in the Champions League is imperative to ensuring that his side's legacy stretches beyond England
“Manchester City have only been big in the last decade, so we are new in this situation," he said in his press conference.
“I think we will be closer to achieving things in Europe when we have more Premier League titles. That is the process that Manchester City have to go through. To maintain the health and focus of the team, it’s the Premier League that is always the most important thing because it is every weekend.
He added: “A goal that is four inches offside, refereeing decisions, arriving (in the later stages) without a lot of injuries – or the other team may be better than you on the night.
Source : 90min