Pep Guardiola stresses the importance of winning against Club Brugge
Pep Guardiola highlighted the need for Manchester City to secure a victory against Belgian side Club Brugge in their final match of the Champions League league stage to qualify for the play-offs and keep their hopes alive for the round of 16.
City are currently 25th in the standings and must win to guarantee a play-off spot. The play-off will see them face a team ranked between 9th and 16th, with a chance to advance to the round of 16 and continue their campaign in the competition they won two seasons ago.
Guardiola dismissed concerns about being eliminated, viewing the match as an opportunity rather than a hurdle. During today’s press conference, he said, “The situation is clear. We have to win. If we don’t, we are out. I want to win because it gives us the chance to play two more games to qualify for the round of 16.”
He added, “It’s not a problem, it’s a challenge and an opportunity. Of course, it wouldn’t be good for the club if we didn’t qualify, but I don’t focus on that. I know some people are worried, but I’ve faced similar games many times in my career. We are here because we didn’t perform well enough earlier, and we need to fix that.”
Guardiola doesn’t care about financial losses
Guardiola also stated that financial concerns aren’t his priority, even though failing to qualify would cost the club £10m. He explained, “I understand the financial importance of qualifying, but for me, it’s about sporting reasons first.”
He added, “Over the last few years, the club has consistently balanced its budget during transfer windows. While I’m aware of how important this competition is financially, my focus is always on the sporting side.”
City spent over £130m in the current transfer window, bringing in players like Omar Marmoush, Abdulkadir Khusanov, Vitor Reis, and Jumaa Bah. Guardiola concluded, “We want to qualify, but above all, for sporting reasons. Our net spending in recent years has been excellent, and we aim to keep building on that.”
