- Title: I won't change my life if we don't win the Champions League, says Guardiola
- Date: 30th September 2019
- Summary: MANCHESTER, ENGLAND, UK (SEPTEMBER 30, 2019) (REUTERS) MANCHESTER CITY MANAGER, PEP GUARDIOLA, AND MIDFIELDER, RODRI, ARRIVING FOR THE PRESS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (English) MANCHESTER CITY MANAGER, PEP GUARDIOLA, SAYING: "So we about - if I change if I win this competition (Champions League)... No matter I wanna win this tournament but if I don't win I'm not gonna change my life. So I'm not gonna kill myself I promise you. So I will try to do my best for the next period. So I think in my first press conference in my first year here in Manchester in my first press conference before the Champions League game, it was the same question. So you are here to win the champions league and I said okay I spoke few times with Khaldoon (Al Mubarak) our chairman. They didn't tell me that." GUARDIOLA DURING TRAINING WITH ASSISTANT COACH, MIKEL ARTETA MANCHESTER CITY PLAYERS MAKING THEIR WAY OUT ONTO THE PITCH FOR THE START OF TRAINING DEFENDER, JOAO CANCELO, JUGGLING A BALL AND PASSING IT (SOUNDBITE) (English) MANCHESTER CITY MANAGER, PEP GUARDIOLA, SAYING: "So the fans come to watch at this stadium when we saw or when they can imagine what we are going to watch. They prefer to go to Etihad Stadium, they stay at home. And the only way to seduce them is play good. It's winning games but playing good so go there and say 'okay I'm gonna have fun 90 minutes'. We going to see good action for our players. That is the best way. That what we working with. So every single day so we work for them (the fans). But not just in the Premier League, in all competitions. So I know for the fans it's, it's the Premier League here in England it's the most exciting. So we know as a club, we make a polls, and the people prefer by far the Premier League than the win the champions league. So here in England I know how special it is. But this competition is nice too and our fans I think so, they have to live this competition like a dream." STRIKER, SERGIO AGUERO, JOGGING AMONGST HIS TEAM MATES DURING TRAINING GUARDIOLA TALKING WITH ARTETA AND ANOTHER MEMBER OF HIS COACHING STAFF DEFENDER, KYLE WALKER, JOGGING AMONGST TEAM MATES DURING TRAINING (SOUNDBITE) (English) MANCHESTER CITY MANAGER, PEP GUARDIOLA, SPEAKING ABOUT WINGER, RIYAD MAHREZ, SAYING: "He's been so decisive, he's clinical. So defensively, his commitment is higher than the last season, and offensively every time something happen close 18 yard box you have this feeling that he's going to create something." WINGER, RIHAD MAHREZ, JOGGING DURING TRAINING (SOUNDBITE) (English) MANCHESTER CITY MANAGER, PEP GUARDIOLA, SPEAKING ABOUT MAKESHIFT DEFENDER, FERNANDINHO, SAYING: "If he feels fit yeah he (Fernandinho) can play. It depends a little bit on him in terms of physical regeneration after the games. When John (Stones) is coming back we can make alternative and now we have young alternative. Rodri can play in that position but we'll see." VARIOUS OF MIDFIELDER AND MAKESHIFT DEFENDER, FERNANDINHO, DURING TRAINING MIDFIELDER, RODRI, TRYING TO WIN THE BALL IN A CIRCLE (SOUNDBITE) (English) MANCHESTER CITY MIDFIELDER, RODRI, SAYING: "No I think it's a good thing we have players that can play in many positions like Fernandinho like Zinchenko for example. It's a tough moment for the team because we lose some you know good players and important players for the team. But this only makes us be stronger for the next month. We have to be altogether and we know the situation but it's not an excuse. We can't you know give up in our challenge this year so we have to keep going and keep fighting all the games." DEFENDER, OLEKSANDR ZINCHENKO, JOGGING AMONGST TEAM MATES DURING TRAINING MANCHESTER CITY PLAYERS DURING TRAINING
- Embargoed: 14th October 2019 17:59
- Keywords: Manchester City UCL UEFA Champions League Champions League Rodri Riyad Mahrez Fernandinho
- Location: MANCHESTER , ENGLAND, UK
- City: MANCHESTER , ENGLAND, UK
- Country: United Kingdom
- Topics: Soccer,Sport
- Reuters ID: LVA001AYUN1A7
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Failing to win the Champions League would not be a disaster for Manchester City according to manager Pep Guardiola, who also believes the club's fans value domestic success over European glory.
City have reached one Champions League semi-final since Guardiola's arrival and were knocked out in the quarters by Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur in the last two seasons.
Guardiola's team won an unprecedented domestic treble last season and, while Europe is the final frontier left to conquer, Guardiola said on Monday (September 30) failing to do so again this season would not "change his life".
The Spaniard added that the club's supporters did not value European success because of City's poor history in the competition and that it was his side's duty to "seduce" the fans.
City host Croatian side Dinamo Zagreb in their second Group C match on Tuesday (October 1) and Guardiola has problems in defence, with regular starters John Stones and Aymeric Laporte injured and makeshift centre back Fernandinho a doubt for the game.
Guardiola also singled out Riyah Mahrez for praise after the Algerian scored a crucial goal from a freekick against Everton on Saturday (September 28).
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