Pep Guardiola Speaks on Man City’s Next Move After Champions League Failure in Honest Interview

• Guardiola said Manchester City players are slowly accepting the defeat to Real Madrid in the Champions League
• The Citizens lost 6-5 on aggregate after Real Madrid staged a dramatic comeback
• The 51-year old gaffer refused to back claims that the defeat at Madrid was a failure on Manchester City’s part

Pep Guardiola has refused to back the notion that Manchester City’s Champions League exit in the semi-finals is a failure.

The Citizens lost 5-3 on aggregate to Real Madrid, who dramatically turned the tie around when City were on the verge of qualification.

Defeat means Guardiola is still waiting for his first Champions League since leaving Barcelona.

According to the 51-year old, the loss was a difficult one to take but his players were learning to accept it.

"If people say it's a failure then I disagree," Guardiola said as quoted by BBC.

"The people in the squad know how difficult it is, but they accept it," Guardiola added. "I'm not going to make a debate. In the club the feeling we have is we try to do it again.

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"We are sad, of course, because we were close - but not close enough. Madrid deserve it.

Guardiola went on to hail Real Madrid, saying it was a “joy” to be able to compete against the most successful club in the Champions League in the manner they did.

The closest City came to winning the Champions League with Guardiola was last season, when they lost out in the final to Thomas Tuchel’s Chelsea.

"I say congratulations to Liverpool and Madrid, they deserve it. Next season we try again and, if it doesn't work, we try again." Guardiola added.

What next for City

Having been in the running for a treble less than two months ago, the Citizens will now shift focus to the Premier League, where their fate is in their own hands.

City are top of the table with 83 points, one ahead of arch-rivals Liverpool with four games to go for both teams.

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If Guardiola’s side wins their remaining matches, they will be crowned champions for the second season in a row.

Messi's text to Aguero after Man City collapse

Another person who could barely believe what Real Madrid achieved was Lionel Messi.

Messi had an interesting reaction to Real Madrid’s comeback win over Manchester City in the Champions League

During a live stream, former Man City striker Sergio Aguero revealed the message he received from Messi.

According to Aguero, the message read: “Stop playing around! It can't be!”