Manchester City’s Era of Greatness Over, Says Guardiola After Champions League Exit

By: Gyang Dakwo

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has conceded that the club’s period of dominance is over following their crushing exit from the UEFA Champions League at the hands of Real Madrid. The Premier League champions were eliminated in the knockout stages after a 6-3 aggregate defeat, with a 3-1 loss in Madrid on Wednesday compounding their 3-2 home defeat in the first leg.

Kylian Mbappé’s hat-trick in the second leg sealed City’s fate, leaving Guardiola to reflect on what has been a disappointing season by the club’s high standards. City are currently fourth in the Premier League, 17 points behind the leaders, and now face the prospect of ending the campaign without a major trophy.

“We have been extraordinarily extraordinary in the past, but not anymore,” Guardiola said in a post-match press conference. “We will have time to think about [rebuilding]. It’s easy to jump to conclusions like that now.”

The City boss acknowledged the difficulty of the defeat, particularly after their first-leg loss at home. “The defeat at home was hard to swallow, and this one is even harder. But Real Madrid are very good, and we know it. In time, we will all accept things as they are,” he said.

Guardiola emphasized the need to focus on the remaining fixtures this season, with 14 Premier League games and the FA Cup still to play. “Now we still have 14 games to go until the end of the season, and we’ll face it as we should. Let’s think about the Premier League and the FA Cup. We will try to be in this competition again next season,” he added.

The absence of star striker Erling Haaland, who suffered a knee injury in the weekend’s match against Newcastle, was a significant blow for City. Guardiola revealed that the Norwegian forward had attempted to train ahead of the Madrid clash but was unable to recover in time. “Erling tried to practice yesterday, but he was really hurting from the challenge against Newcastle. It hurt when he walked, when trying to go up and down stairs,” Guardiola explained.

The City manager was gracious in defeat, praising Real Madrid’s performance and acknowledging the quality of their opponents. “We weren’t able to stop Mbappé, and the better team won. Madrid deserved it. We’ve done quite well in previous seasons, but this year we’re not getting off to a good start. We have to learn,” he said.

Guardiola also highlighted the physical demands of playing at the Bernabéu, noting Madrid’s improved intensity and high pressing. “Physique matters a lot at the Bernabéu, and they, on top of that, have improved because now they run more. They press high and are very dynamic. Nothing else to say, they deserved it. Accept it and that’s it.”

With their Champions League campaign over, Manchester City now turn their attention to salvaging their season in the Premier League and FA Cup. Guardiola’s admission that the club’s era of greatness has passed marks a turning point, as City look to rebuild and reclaim their place among Europe’s elite.