Pep Guardiola is highly motivated as he pushes Manchester City towards securing a place in next season’s UEFA Champions League, a competition that his team has been notably absent from in its latter stages this year. Guardiola, who has enjoyed much success at City, including four consecutive Premier League titles, is now facing a rare challenge: watching the ongoing Champions League action from his sofa instead of standing on the touchline.
City’s early exit from this year’s tournament came as a huge surprise, with the club failing to reach the last 16 after being knocked out in the play-off round by Real Madrid. It was the first time since the 2012-2013 season that City had not made it into the Champions League knockout rounds, marking a significant disappointment for Guardiola, who had always been able to guide his teams past the group stages in previous seasons. Nonetheless, despite this setback, Guardiola has found motivation in watching the remaining games, taking inspiration from the teams still competing, such as Arsenal, Paris Saint-Germain, Barcelona, and Inter Milan, all of whom have secured spots in the semifinals.
Guardiola remains hopeful that City will be able to qualify for the Champions League next season and challenge the best clubs in Europe once more. “It’s a motivation,” he said about watching these teams play. “It’s not a bad thing to fight to qualify for the Champions League. Hopefully, next season, we can be there with the big clubs in Europe and challenge them better than we have this season.”
Currently, City are engaged in a battle to finish in the Premier League’s top five, which would guarantee their spot in the Champions League for the 15th consecutive season. Guardiola’s side currently sit in fifth place, with just a one-point advantage over both Chelsea and Aston Villa. With only six matches remaining, the fight for a Champions League place is tighter than ever.
While Guardiola acknowledged the disappointing form his team has shown this season, he also highlighted that things could have been far worse. “We could be in a much lower position in the Premier League,” he admitted. “People say we are fifth now, but we could be 11th, 12th, 13th, or even 14th. I have no doubts. OK, we’ve not been good, but it’s in our hands.” This resilience and belief that City still have control of their own fate could be crucial as they look to finish strong in the final stretch of the season.
City’s form has taken a noticeable dip compared to their previous seasons under Guardiola, where they dominated English football. However, with six games to go, the manager remains confident in the team’s ability to turn things around. The upcoming clash with Everton will be another test of City’s mettle, with several key players still unavailable due to injury. Erling Haaland, John Stones, Nathan Ake, and Ederson will miss the trip to Goodison Park, though there is optimism that Manu Akanji could make his return to the squad after a two-month absence. In addition, Phil Foden has recovered from the injury that kept him out of City’s 5-2 victory over Crystal Palace last weekend.
As the season draws to a close, Guardiola’s focus remains squarely on ensuring that City secure a Champions League spot for next year. While this season may not have gone as smoothly as hoped, the motivation to return to Europe’s elite competition next year is a driving force for the manager and his players alike.
