Manchester City manager, Pep Guardiola, has insisted that lifting the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup will not alter the club’s current reality following a frustrating season.
City endured a trophyless campaign and barely secured a place in next season’s UEFA Champions League, raising questions about their form and direction.
Speaking ahead of their upcoming fixture against UAE club Al Ain, Guardiola admitted that his focus is not solely on the silverware.
“I said many times, the season was not good,” Guardiola told reporters. “When you finish third in the Premier League to qualify for the Champions League, it means 70 teams were worse than us.”
The former Barcelona boss highlighted City’s impressive performance in the FA Cup final but acknowledged their European shortcomings.
“We played the FA Cup final in an incredibly high level against a really good team. The disappointment was the Champions League, we did not do really good. It was tough to handle it.”
While Guardiola respects the prestige of the tournament, he downplayed its ability to reshape perceptions of City’s season.
“Winning this competition is not going to change that but my mindset at the moment is not about winning the competition. We can extend our time here, being here longer.
“For the South American teams, the competition may be the maximum. For European teams, it is a World Cup.”
City now look to the Club World Cup as a chance to regroup and refocus, even if it doesn’t rewrite their recent struggles.