Pep Guardiola has said there is a real chance that Manchester City will fail to qualify for next year’s UEFA Champions League.
The Spanish tactician, who has taken Man City to unprecedented success in England, does not think it is surprising for his team to hit a rough patch.
Manchester City enjoyed a confident start to the 2024-25 Premier League season, winning seven of their first nine matches and drawing the other two. On 31st October, the Cityzens lost 2-1 to Tottenham Hotspur in the EFL Cup and thus began the worst rough patch of Guardiola’s career.
In their last 12 games in all competitions, the reigning English champions have lost nine, drawn two, and won just once. In the Premier League, they have lost six of their previous eight games (1 D, 1 W). Their only victory came against Nottingham Forest at the Etihad Stadium on December 4.
Pep Guardiola Says Manchester City Could Fail to Qualify for Champions League
Due to their sharp dip in form, Manchester City have dropped from first place to fifth in the Premier League rankings. Speaking to the press ahead of the Boxing Day clash against Everton, Guardiola said there was a chance that the 2022-23 Champions League winners may not feature in the competition next season.
“When I said before, people laughed. They said, ‘Qualifying for the Champions League is not a big success’. But I know it because it happens with clubs in this country,” said Guardiola (via ESPN).
“They were dominant for many years and after they were many years not qualifying for the Champions League. The one team that has been in the Champions League for the past years has been Manchester City. Now we are at risk, of course we are.”
Manchester City have been quite poor in the Champions League as well. Playing six games, they have won two, lost two, and drawn two. With eight points to their name, City are in 22nd place in the rankings, just a point above the drop zone.
They will return to Champions League action with a must-win clash against French champions Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) on 22nd January.
