Pep Guardiola has admitted he fears Manchester City will not qualify for the Champions League. The club are in the tournament for a 14th consecutive season but an extraordinary slump has left them “at risk”, said the manager, who acknowledged there would be financial as well as sporting repercussions.
City are seventh in the Premier League, four points behind Nottingham Forest who are in fourth. Fifth spot could secure a Champions League berth, with Uefa rewarding two leagues with an extra place based on their clubs’ performances in all European competitions this season, but Guardiola was clear about his concern as he prepared for a Boxing Day visit from Everton.
“Financial is an issue, of course it is,” he said, “but it’s not just that. Now we’re at risk, of course we are, definitely. When I said before [this could happen], people laughed. It’s presumptuous: us winning the Premier League.
“They said: ‘Ah, qualifying for the Champions League is not a big success.’ I know it [can happen], because it happens with clubs in this country. They were dominant for many years and, after many years, not qualifying for the Champions League.”
Arsenal’s run of qualifications ended at 19 in 2017, Manchester United were halted at 18 in 2014, Chelsea at 13 in 2016 and Liverpool have not managed more than six in a row since the days of the old European Cup. City could also qualify again by winning the Champions League but their first challenge is to reach the last 16, given they are 22nd in the 36-team table.
Guardiola said: “The one team that has been in the Champions League for the past 11 or 12 years [sic] has been Man City … if we don’t qualify it is because we don’t deserve it. Because we were not prepared, because we had a lot of problems and didn’t solve those problems and find a way to win games. There are a lot of contenders to be there. For every club it is so important and if we are not winning games, we will be out.”
Guardiola is being offered support by his chairman, Khaldoon al‑Mubarak, regarding a dire run of one victory in their past 12 matches.
“Every week we talk,” he said. “I feel incredibly supported. We behaved like [this] in the first season maybe but it was completely different [when City won nothing]. We both know it: when there’s a moment something wrong happens then we are going to take decisions.
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“I feel incredibly supported from him. Of course from Txiki [Begiristain, the sporting director] and Ferran [Soriano, the chief executive] but especially Khaldoon in these terms. We say: ‘OK the situation is what is and what we have to do to improve the team and come on, let’s go to the next one [game].’ And it’s always been positive.”
