Pep Guardiola believes Manchester City must win the Champions League if they are to be considered among the best teams in history.
On Wednesday City booked their place in the Champions League final with a 4-0 win against Real Madrid in the semi-final second leg.
Guardiola’s side utterly dominated the 14-time competition winners, and would have scored more were it not for a string of fine saves from goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.
The performance reignited the conversation of where the current incarnation of Pep’s City ranks among the greatest sides in the game.
City are close to winning a fifth Premier League title under Guardiola, but the Spaniard’s failure to so far bring the Champions League trophy to the Etihad Stadium is the only mark against him.
For football fans and the media to consider his side in the same bracket as his great treble-winning Barcelona team, Guardiola admitted that City must win the Champions League.
“The team is really good, but I agree for the media, for the people, saying we have to win the European Cup to be considered in the same level of those teams [Barca],” Guardiola said ahead of City’s Premier League clash with Chelsea.
“Those teams win in Europe, not once but any times, and we want that.
“In the end the joy is so nice, it’s amazing being here again and again [fighting for trophies at the end of the season].
“Nothing is going to change if we lift it, but if we want to be considered one of the best teams we have to win the Champions League.”
Pep has previously said that City’s success isn’t dependent on winning the competition, but he accepted that not everyone thinks the same.
“My opinion is not going to change, but to be in the [history] books, you have to be there [win the Champions League].”
City will take on Internazionale in the final in Istanbul on June 10.
