Man Evening: Manchester City’s Owner Desires Champions League Glory More Than Premier League Consecutive Titles – Guardiola Dreams of Proving Himself in Munich for the Champions League Final

The British media, Manchester Evening News, points out that for Manchester City’s decision-makers, striving to win the Champions League twice in three years is the highest priority, even surpassing a five consecutive Premier League titles.

The report notes that in last season’s Champions League quarter-finals, Manchester City was eliminated by Real Madrid on penalties, experiencing bitterness and disappointment. Ultimately, Real Madrid won the Champions League title, intensifying Manchester City’s sense of loss. Manchester City certainly isn’t arrogant enough to believe that if they had won that penalty shootout, it would have meant lifting the big-eared cup – but it’s clear that Manchester City is not short of experience against the subsequent two opponents (Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund). In any case, Manchester City this season looks forward to having another chance to challenge their goal.

This is also the wish of Manchester City’s head coach, senior management, and owners. The Abu Dhabi side has stated “the desire to reflect Manchester City’s dominance in England in Europe as well.” Guardiola also clearly stated that he would not be satisfied with last season’s league championship achievement: “We must examine ourselves to see if we can do better; we can improve and achieve greater success.”

One issue is that with the expansion of the Champions League this season, the matches have become more frequent. The first stage (group stage) of the tournament will extend until the end of January, consuming more of Manchester City’s physical energy, and unlike previous seasons, there won’t be 2-3 months between the group stage and knockout rounds, allowing clubs to focus on the league. The reform of the Champions League undoubtedly makes it more difficult to achieve success in all competitions, and Manchester City will once again have to balance between the league, domestic cups, and the Champions League, not to mention the Club World Cup at the end of the season.

For Guardiola, the match on May 31, 2025 (Champions League final) will be held at the Allianz Arena in Munich, which will undoubtedly give him extra motivation. He failed to win the Champions League during his three years coaching Bayern Munich, so winning at that stadium has special significance for him.

In summary, according to Manchester media, in the eyes of Manchester City’s head coach and owner this season, competing for the Champions League title takes precedence over consecutive Premier League titles. As the Manchester Evening News puts it: “If winning five consecutive Premier League titles doesn’t sound much different from four, then winning the Champions League twice in three years is certainly very different from winning one in nine years (referring to Guardiola’s nine-year tenure at Manchester City).”