Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola had a simple reason as to why he has not yet won the Champions League with the club: Real Madrid.
The Spaniard has been at the Etihad Stadium since 2016 and has enjoyed unprecedented success having lifted four Premier League crowns, four League Cups and the FA Cup. He has not quite been able to replicate that in Europe, though, with City’s best finish being an appearance in the 2021 final. Premier League rivals Chelsea deprived them of their first Champions League title in Porto last year.
With City having booked their place in the knockout rounds of the most recent edition courtesy of their 0-0 draw with FC Copenhagen, Guardiola of course has another opportunity to halt the club’s European frustration.
Probed after the match as to why City have not yet won the Champions League, the former Barcelona boss replied: "Because Madrid is always there."
Real Madrid have enjoyed a near-monopoly on the Champions League title over the past decade. Since 2014, the Spanish giants have won five titles.
They also eliminated City from the competition last season having staged a remarkable semi-final comeback at the Santiago Bernabeu to win 6-5 on aggregate after Guardiola’s men had won at the Etihad.
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It has been claimed recently that City are currently ‘obsessed’ with winning the Champions League during Guardiola’s tenure at the club - something that he disputed ahead of the season getting underway.
He said: "It's not about that. I would like to win it, it's not an obsession, it's a dream, a target we can do. I'm completely aware how good the opponents are and how difficult this competition is. I said many times, maybe people don't believe me or think I'm making an excuse, I didn't come here to win the Champions League.
"I'm the first to want it, [but] it was the same in Munich. In Barcelona we won it twice, I wanted to win four! The 30 or 40 seasons where I'm a manager, I want to win every single Champions League, [but] I don't feel a failure when we don't win it.”
It was a tricky evening for City in Denmark despite them having managed to book their place in the next round of the Champions League. Rodri ’s spectacular opening goal was chalked off by VAR due to a handball by Riyad Mahrez in the build-up.
The Algerian then missed a penalty before Sergio Gomez was sent off just five minutes later.
Guardiola’s men next take on Borussia Dortmund before rounding off their group stage fixtures against Sevilla as they attempt to top the group.
