Pep Guardiola has said securing Champions League qualification is like winning ‘a title’ for Manchester City.
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola speaking to MOTD: “We started really well and after that we had the momentum. It was in our hands and we did our job. It’s been a tough year but we never gave up. I’m very proud and pleased for the team. Now we will recover and next season will be better.”
On securing Champions League qualification: “It’s like a title, [because of] the obstacles. When you continue [a run of poor form] you finish 10th, 11th, 12th or 13th. This is the destiny of all the teams in the Premier League when they are in November, December or January and you cannot fight for the Premier League, like you have done for many years.
“People can say ‘I don’t want to fight again, just to qualify for the Europa League’. We continued playing good and we were there [in position to seal Champions League qualification] and we did it. At the end we finished third, not miles away from Arsenal, but the distance to Liverpool is huge. We have to improve and hopefully we can do it.”