Pep Guardiola disputed the suggestion that his Manchester City side lacked character and insisted that their Champions League exit was not a failure.
In a passionate performance facing the media in person for the first time since their heartbreaking defeat to Real Madrid, the coach spoke about his pride at being in charge of his group of players and having owners who do not judge his success by trophies. While he said that he would accept their semi-final exit as a failure - particularly given the nature of their dramatic collapse - Guardiola completely disagreed with the suggestion.
Another painful exit has left many wondering if City can ever win the Champions League, and their manager admitted that he could not answer whether they could or would. However, he launched a lengthy defence of his side that addressed much of the criticism levelled at them since Wednesday and also sought to place their achievements ahead of nearly every other club in Europe.
