Pep Guardiola became the manager of Manchester City in the summer of 2016 succeeding in his compatriot (Manuel Pellegrini). Since then, City has recorded much success with the Spaniard at the helms but not after the English Premier League had taught Pep a lesson, his first season in England ended without a trophy and his team ended the season on the 4th position which made many doubted his chance of succeeding at City.
In his second season in charge, after getting rid of some “deadwood” in the team and brought in his own kind of players, he took the English league by storm; winning the title in a pathbreaking manner. His team scored 106 times in the EPL in 38 matches and recorded 100 hefty points (19 points above second-placed Manchester United) to win the title.
They didn’t stop there, going forward to the 2018/2019 season, Manchester City bagged the unprecedented domestic treble in England. Winning the league again with 98 points, (1 above Liverpool), meaning that City has garnered 198 astonishing points in the EPL in just two seasons. As well as snatching the FA and the Carabao Cup.
In all of his crazy achievements as the manager of the Cityzens, one trophy however is conspicuously missing which is the UEFA Champions League.
That has been Pep’s Achilles heel since 2011 he last placed his hands on the most coveted trophy. However, he’s been tagged as a fraud by his critics. Consequently, Pep alluded to the fact that him winning the Champions League with Barca was because he had Lionel Messi in his team; validating the sentiment many pundits have expressed over the years.
For the 49-year-old, the season is done and dusted for his club as per the EPL with Liverpool already the runaway winners, but there’s still something to fight for in Europe, it’s apparently the Champions league – the greatest prize in club football. One of the factors many have used against Pep is despite how heavily he has spent at City, he still hasn’t mapped out a way to get the better out of the city squad to win the UCL.
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While It will be unfair to nail Guardiola because of his inability to have a breakthrough in Europe close to a decade, it is at the same time will be an aberration not to consider some factors. The city was knocked out of the Champions League by Tottenham Hotspurs last season on away goals in the quarter-finals after VAR ruled out Raheem Sterling’s goal.
That was the third time in four years Pep’s side will be knocked out from the Champions League on away goals – perhaps the luck hasn’t been on Pep’s side.
As we inch closer to the return of the Champions League, City will take on 13 times winners of the UCL and Pep’s City career will be defined whether as a success or as a failure depending on the outcome of what he does in Europe.
Image Credit: Skysports
