Pep Guardiola termed Manchester City as desperate to win the Champions League this season as he pointed at great Michael Jordan and golf legend Jack Nicklaus claiming they have both tested failures and victories.
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Manchester City welcomes Bayern Munich on Tuesday ahead of the quarterfinal amid all the talk about when the club would win its first Champions League title.
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However, Pep pointed out the two legends as City’s perfect example with golf legend Jack Nicklaus winning 18 majors across a lengthy career, and NBA great Michael Jordan lifting 6 titles in 15 seasons.
Despite the domestic success and a fortune spent in the transfer market, the Champions League title has eluded Guardiola since his move to the Premier League club in 2016 and pressure is once again building on the team.
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“The question has been coming every single season,” Guardiola added, saying even the best teams in sport tend to lose more tournaments than they win.
“We try every single season. The teams you face are also good too and want to win too. My dream is to live it again.
We want to try but that doesn’t mean we are going to win. “Michael Jordan won six NBA titles, how many years did he play?”
Manchester City is largely considered the favourite for this year’s competition but it must first navigate a way past the German champion.
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Pep has not won the Champions League since 2011 with Barcelona, failing to also lift the trophy in his three seasons as Bayern Munich boss.
“We want to try. It is an honour to be here against an elite club in Bayern Munich. We will not take it for granted,” Guardiola told reporters ahead of the first leg at the Etihad Stadium.
He did, however, reach the final with Manchester City in 2021 but eventually lost to league rival Chelsea.
City clash against Bayern Munich sees Guardiola face former Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel, the man who beat him in the 2021 Champions League final.
Tuchel replaced Julian Nagelsmann at Bayern last month after the team dropped from first to second in the Bundesliga table.
Bayern has since returned to the top of the league but Tuchel says the quarterfinal clash will be a massive test for his team.
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Manchester City has looked relentless of late and has the tournament’s current top goalscorer Erling Haaland on the form.
The Norwegian scored an outrageous bicycle kick in the Premier League on Saturday as he became the fastest player in league history to score 30 goals in a season.
“We will have the role of the underdog and that is okay,” Tuchel told reporters Monday.
“We have to stay confident and stay on top of our game.
“There will be moments where we will be suffering and we will have to defend as a block, try to overcome that and try to get more possession.”
Another Tuesday fixture sees Benfica face Inter Milan in another quarterfinal first-leg clash.
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The return legs for both games are scheduled for April 19.
