What Guardiola said about a possible elimination of Manchester City from the Champions League

Pep Guardiola, coach of Manchester City, stated that he’s not thinking about the possibility of being eliminated from the Champions League and that he doesn’t see the match against Club Brugge as a problem, but as an opportunity for his team.

City needs to win against Club Brugge this Wednesday to secure their spot in the Round of 16 of the Champions League. A draw or a loss would eliminate them from the competition. "The situation is what it is, we have to win, and if not, we’ll be out. We want to win to have the chance to play two more games and be in the Round of 16," said Guardiola in a press conference on Tuesday.

A challenge, not a problem

"This isn’t a problem, it’s an opportunity, a challenge, and we’ll face it as such. It wouldn’t be good for the club (not qualifying), but I’m not thinking about that. I know people are worried about whether we’re qualified or not, but I don’t think about that. I’ve played many of these types of games since I started my career. We’re here for the reasons we already know, because we haven’t done well enough," added the Catalan coach.

Regarding the financial impact of not advancing in the world’s top club competition, Guardiola mentioned that he hasn’t spoken to the club’s owner about it yet, but he knows how important it is to progress in this Champions League. "I know how important it is financially for the club to advance and what it could affect, but the main reason I want to qualify is for sporting reasons. In the last five or six years, the club’s net spending has been spectacular. The club said the situation is fine, and if we want to spend, we can," the coach explained.

Possible team changes

As for possible changes in the team, although Guardiola didn’t reveal anything about the lineup for the match against Club Brugge, he did mention that Oscar Bobb could return to the squad after missing the season so far due to a leg fracture.