MANCHESTER, England : Manchester City’s Pep Guardiola said he is aware of the financial implications of failing to reach the Champions League knockout stages as his side head into Wednesday’s final group game against Club Brugge needing a win to stay in the hunt.
City have reached the Champions League knockout stages every season since Guardiola took the helm in 2016, but they are in danger of missing out with the new format this year where they sit 25th in the standings – outside even the playoff spots.
The top eight teams qualify directly for the last 16 while the clubs that finish ninth to 24th contest the knockout phase playoffs to advance and Guardiola said City missing out could affect their business in the transfer market.
“In the last two or three transfer windows it’s always been positive. I’m not naive enough to not know how important it is financially for the club to go through in this competition,” Guardiola told reporters on Tuesday.
“It can affect the club but, of course we want to try to make it happen and go through first for sporting reasons.
“In the last five or six years, the net spend at this club has been amazing. The club said, ‘OK the situation is the situation. If we want to spend, we can spend. If not, we don’t spend.'”
City have already spent more than 120 million pounds ($149.14 million) on forward Omar Marmoush and defenders Vitor Reis and Abdukodir Khusanov this month.
City won the Champions League in 2023 and Guardiola did not want to discuss how embarrassing it would be if they did not qualify for the knockout stage.
“We have to win the game and if not then we won’t continue in the competition. We want to go through to have another chance to play another two games and qualify for the next stage,” he said.
“I appreciate your concern about not qualifying but I think we are going to do it… Ask me after the game (if it is embarrassing if City fail to qualify).”
City beat Brugge 5-1 and 4-1 in the 2021-22 campaign but Guardiola said the Belgian side are vastly different from the team they played three seasons ago.
Brugge have not lost a game in all competitions since late October and are 20th in the Champions League standings, three points above City.
“We would like to score lots of goals in the first 20 minutes but I don’t think that will happen,” Guardiola added.
“I expect a tough game. When a team are unbeaten… it’s because they are good, there’s no secret there. They have done really well.
“It’s a final for both of us, especially for us.”
($1 = 0.8046 pounds)
