Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola stated that “nothing lasts forever” after his team was eliminated from the Champions League by Real Madrid.
City has experienced immense triumph under Guardiola, with their silverware collection under the ex-Barcelona coach including six Premier League titles and the prestigious European Cup in 2023.
However, this season has been the most challenging of his tenure, as they have fallen out of contention for the domestic title due to an injury crisis and now exited Europe following Wednesday’s defeat in Madrid.
“Nothing is permanent,” Guardiola remarked. “We have been phenomenal, and we must now take it step by step to improve from this point forward.”
“In the past, we were extraordinarily exceptional, but not anymore.”
“We have 13 matches remaining in the Premier League and need to secure a top-four or top-five finish to qualify for the Champions League again.”
After narrowly losing the first leg of their knockout play-off 3-2 at Etihad Stadium, City were comprehensively outplayed in Madrid, where Kylian Mbappe netted a hat-trick as the hosts triumphed 3-1 on the night, cruising through with a 6-3 aggregate score.
“We struggled to defend against Mbappe’s movement, and that made things more complicated,” Guardiola admitted.
“The superior team won, and they deserved it. They were better. Our job now is to acknowledge reality and keep moving forward.”
City forward Erling Haaland was not fully fit due to injury and was named on the bench.
The Norwegian striker did not participate in the warm-up and remained unused despite his team trailing.
“Erling attempted to train,” Guardiola explained.
“From the scans we conducted, everything appeared normal, but he experienced discomfort while walking. He told me, ‘I’m not ready, I don’t feel right.’”
